Showcase 2026: Art Student Explores Hidden Microbial Life in Historic Paintings
By Kamal Tomlin, Class of ’26
ALBANY, N.Y. (April 27, 2026) — On Thursday, there will be a buzz of excitement at the University at Albany for Showcase 2026 as students present projects they’ve spent months building, highlighting research, scholarship and creative work.
From poetry readings to deep dives into tech and data security, the range of disciplines feels endless. The arts are no exception. This year, one project invites us to look closer at paintings, close enough to glimpse a hidden, living world beneath the surface.
Meagan Leung, a senior studying Biology and Art History, explores this idea in her project, “Paintings as Ecosystems: Microbial Life and Material Change in Early Modern European Oil Paintings.”
Inspired by her research in AART 499, Leung combines scientific analysis with art history to rethink how we understand paintings. Rather than seeing them as static objects, her work highlights how they are constantly changing, shaped over time by microscopic communities of bacteria and fungi.
Scientists studying early modern works, including those by artists like Jan van Eyck and Rembrandt van Rijn, have found that these microbes play a key role in how paintings age, contributing to the breakdown of pigments, oils and varnishes.
Leung is working on the project under the mentorship of Amy Bloch, associate professor of Art History.
“When a painter uses a certain drying agent, like zinc sulfate, what does that do to the microbiome?” Leung wondered. “How does that affect the painting over time and what might that say about the artist’s intentions?”
This isn’t her first time blending art and microbiology. At last year’s Showcase, Leung explored connections between surrealism — an art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I — and microscopy. Her project connected microscopic life with the surrealist idea that reality has hidden, mysterious layers we don’t normally see.
Leung’s current project builds on that idea, pushing it further into conservation and interpretation. She will also be giving a talk during Showcase that expands on her work.
“There’s been interest in the art history aspect of my work, so along with my poster presentation, I'm doing a talk that will focus on the intersection of microscopy and art history. It will be a busy, but exciting day. Attendees will be able to see art in a completely new way.”
UAlbany will hold its fourth annual Showcase this Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The daylong event will feature poster sessions, presentations, performances and exhibitions across multiple disciplines.
UAlbany students, faculty and staff, as well as prospective students, alumni, community members and school groups, are invited to attend. The event is free and open to the public.