N.C. A&T University Galleries to Host “The Quantum Revolution” Exhibition

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Jan. 17, 2025) – The University Galleries at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will host the “The Quantum Revolution: Handcrafted in New Haven” exhibit Monday, Jan. 20, through Monday, Feb. 17. 

The exhibition is a key component of a collaboration between N.C. A&T Quantum Information Science & Engineering (QISE) Research Workforce Development Programs and the Yale University Quantum Institute (YQI).  The exhibition, curated by Florian Carle, Ph.D., captures the history and the handcrafted beauty of the groundbreaking work. Scattered around the gallery are cavities, qubits and substrates – the nuts and bolts of quantum architecture – and original notebook drawings by YQI Artist-in-Residence Martha W. Lewis. 

It also will feature artwork from A&T students from the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, Visual Arts Program of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS). 

“This exhibition invites all of our visitors to embark on a journey of discovery, where the seemingly infinite potential of quantum physics intertwines with the freedom and creativity of art,” said Roymieco Carter, professor and director of the Visual Arts Program and University Galleries. “By exploring technical and conceptual conversations between these disciplines, we hope to open minds to the possibilities of the unknown, both in the areas of science and the areas of creative expression.” 

The exhibition comes to the A&T campus through the ASCEND HBCU Quantum Information Science and Engineering Short Course Series, which is designed to equip faculty, graduate students and research staff at historically Black colleges and universities with seminal training to successfully enter the QISE ecosystem. It is a collaboration between A&T, qBraid and YQI, supported by the Yale ASCEND Initiative. 

“The exhibit brings attention to two very important contributions to North Carolina A&T’s effort to become one of our nation’s premiere academic research institutions,” said Raymond E. Samuel, Ph.D., professor of biology in A&T’s College of Science and Technology who leads the university’s QISE Research Workforce Development Programs. “Those contributions are continuing to build sustainable research partnerships with institutions, such as Yale University, and expanding our cutting-edge research in emerging technologies, such as quantum information science and engineering.” 

Drawing inspiration from the groundbreaking innovations and discoveries of researchers during her residency in the YQI laboratories in New Haven, Connecticut, Lewis translates complex properties of quantum physics into compelling visual art. 

The exhibit displays drawings by Lewis and historical quantum superconducting devices invented by scientists at YQI that were being adopted by “tech giants” like Google, IBM and Intel, all who are racing to commercialize the first functioning quantum computer capable of outperforming a classical computer, Carle said. 

Carle is managing director of YQI, where he develops outreach programing mixing art and science to demystify quantum physics and science in the community. YQI enlisted Lewis, a New Haven-based visual artist, curator and educator, in 2017 to illustrate the interaction between contemporary art and quantum science. Her pieces are in many public and private collections and have been exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, the Oxford University Botanical Gardens in the U.K., and in the U.S. at The DeCordova Museum, The Tides Institute and Museum. 

As inaugural artist-in residence at YQI, Lewis created in 2018 “I’ll be your qubit,” an interactive, immersive installation, collaborating with quantum researchers at YQI. Qubits are quantum bits, the quantum equivalent of the transistors for classical computers. She continues her collaboration with Carle beyond her residency with this exhibition and an art and science application called ThaumCATrope launched in 2024.  

Exhibiting the artistic aspects of quantum technology shows the human element behind it and demystifies the complexities of the science, said Carle, whose program is featuring its fourth artist-in-residence. 

“We are witnessing an incredible transfer of knowledge and technology from academia to industry in a very limited time, 20 years,” he said. “We will all witness the drastic impact of quantum computers in our lifetime and, with this exhibition, we wanted to capture this story as these machines are evolving from handcrafted laboratory prototypes to mature technology accessible on cloud services.” 

The University Galleries, part of CAHSS, are located in the Dudley Building, 202 University Circle, off East Market Street on the A&T campus. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and Saturday by appointment. Exhibits are free and open to the public.