Seeing Innovation in Creation
“When you study creation closely, you find design principles that are both efficient and beautiful.” His work explores how visual art intersects with science and engineering, especially through biomimicry, the practice of studying patterns in the natural world God has created to inspire sustainable human innovation.
Learning From God’s Designs
Hall draws on a long tradition of artists and inventors who have observed creation to solve complex problems. Leonardo da Vinci’s studies of bird anatomy informed early ideas of human flight that inspired the Wright brothers. In 1941, Swiss engineer George de Mestral created Velcro after examining burrs stuck to his dog’s fur. More recently, NASA and Speedo designed drag-reducing swimsuits modeled after shark skin. They proved so effective that they were banned from Olympic competition for giving athletes too much of an advantage.
These examples reflect what Hall teaches his students: the created world bears evidence of intentional design, and careful study of it can lead to solutions that serve people and communities.
Steam: Where Art and Science Meet
Hall’s scholarship also supports adding the arts to the traditional STEM fields, resulting in the STEAM model. He argues that research and creativity are inseparable. “The arts are applied learning,” he said. “Artists and designers test ideas, gather evidence, and iterate just as scientists do. Design thinking blends creativity with critical inquiry to solve problems.”
He often points to design challenges such as ergonomic wheelchairs or crutches that reduce strain on the body. These projects require imagination, empathy, and technical skill, showing how art and engineering work hand in hand.
Faith, History, And Artistic Craft
Hall’s interest in the intersection of art, faith, and history began early in his career. As an undergraduate, he studied at the Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute in Florence, Italy, learning classical techniques such as gilding with gold leaf, often used in sacred art. “I have always been fascinated by sacred art and its connection to Christian history,” he said. Those experiences shaped his understanding of how Christianity and creativity interact.
Decades later, he returned to the same institute as an IWU professor, supported by two Lilly Endowment grants. In Florence, he researched the scientific and aesthetic methods used to restore deteriorating works of art. He studied how restoration blends chemistry, material science, and visual analysis to recover both the physical integrity and the theological meaning of sacred objects.
“Restoration involves historical inquiry, technical study, and material experimentation,” he said. “It is both investigative and redemptive. You are bringing something back to life.”
An Unexpected Commission in Tuscany
During his research in Florence, Hall joined a restoration project at a 1,000-year-old church in Tuscany. His work drew interest from local officials, including the mayor, who visited regularly. After seeing a gold-leaf painting Hall had created of the Madonna and child, the mayor invited him to design the banner for the next year’s Palio di Piancastagnaio horse race, which honors the Madonna of San Pietro. The hand-painted banner serves as the race’s trophy. Hall described the honor as comparable to designing the silver cup awarded at Wimbledon.
When Hall returned to IWU, he turned the commission into a collaborative project. Students researched the history, symbolism, and color palette of the Palio, learning how cultural context guides design choices.
Cultivating Innovation on Campus
Hall continues to promote creativity and research at IWU. “We have one of the most ambitious college-based art exhibition programs in the country,” he said. “While many colleges host two or three exhibitions a year, we have presented as many as 17 in two semesters.” IWU’s four campus galleries provide students with hands-on experience as artists, curators, promoters, and gallery managers, preparing them for professional roles.
Art As a Laboratory for Discovery
Through teaching, research, and a Christ-centered approach to creativity, Hall demonstrates how art can serve as a space for discovery and faithful engagement with the world. His work in biomimicry, restoration, and cultural design shows that research does not belong only in the lab. It also thrives in the studio, the gallery, the classroom, and the created world that Christ calls His people to steward.
For Hall, innovation begins with paying attention. “When you study creation carefully,” he said, “you see ideas that have been there all along.”
