The goal of the Bridges Organization is to foster research, practice, and new interest in mathematical connections to art, music, architecture, and culture. All too often, mathematics can seem disconnected from or even antithetical to these other topics. We believe that mathematics and art can inform and enrich each other, that there are great ideas waiting to be found in mathematical analysis and synthesis of art, and that artistic thinking and activities can enliven the mathematics classroom.
The centrepiece of our mission is the annual Bridges Conference, typically held in late July or early August. The conference brings together an interdisciplinary group of mathematicians, scientists, artists, educators, musicians, writers, computer scientists, sculptors, dancers, weavers, model builders and many others in an atmosphere of mutual exchange and inspiration. Bridges typically includes invited plenary talks, contributed research papers, hands-on workshops, a visual art exhibition, a public “family day”, and arts-focused performance events in music, film, poetry, and theatre.
Reza Sarhangi organized the first Bridges conference in 1998 at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas. Since then the conference has travelled up to Canada and outward to Europe and Asia, and hosts participants from dozens of countries around the world. The conference is a meeting place of a wide range of skills, talents, dispositions, and domains of expertise, where artists and scientists frequently generate new ideas and form new collaborations.
The Bridges Organization was founded by individuals who enjoy reaching across boundaries and expanding their thinking. As an organization, we are always looking for other ways to share our love of math-art connections, and will continue to experiment with new initiatives, both within the annual conference and beyond it.
If your institution is interested in being the local host for a future Bridges Conference, please see this document.
Board of Directors
(March 2021)
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To contact the board of directors, please send email to bridges@bridgesmathart.org.
About our founder
Reza Sarhangi (1952–2016) founded the Bridges conferences in Winfield, Kansas in 1998. The conference is imbued with his spirit and enthusiasm. You can learn more about Reza on a separate memorial page.