The art within science can be an invaluable tool for engaging and transforming how the general public views science. A classic example is the multitude of genetically engineered florescent proteins that are expressed in bacteria and whose colonies have been used to create some amazing Petri plate art. The art in science, which captures the viewer’s eye, beacons the viewer to ask the inevitable question, How did they do that? or How do they know that? Hence, art can be an invaluable tool to stimulate scientific curiosity. The universe is our classroom; by studying aspects of the innate and the living, and on spatial scales from cells to stars, physical scientists continue to contribute to a better understanding of life, art, and the production of new art, an unexpected by-product of their research. This symposium will use art and what we know and want to know about art as a staging ground to provide insight into the why, where, and when painters and photographers created their masterpieces; how basic concepts and research in physics has contributed to new methods in art preservation and development of novel materials for art, and a better understanding of biological processes. This symposium will convey the spirit and dependence of art and science and how we can use elements of both worlds to pique scientific curiosity and nurture that curiosity into scientific literacy.