Your Culture Vulture (and other area residents) sent in submissions to the Museum of Temporary Art. Did you? Look for a link to the Roanoke wing of the museum's exhibits in an upcoming article (once they are cataloged and — tee-hee — hung in the gallery space). Check out the Culture Vulture archives at fishcards.com/culturevulture for more details.

E-mail Miriam Young or interact with her at the Culture Vulture message board.

Now, on to the column subject at hand — intelligent design. My editors may be nervous at this title, but I'm not referring to divine creation (although, I have seen some divine art lately). Instead, I'm referring to a realm of the art world that combines science and scholarly activities with artistic talent, sensitivity and vision.

Paleo what?

“Meniscotherium” by Lawrence B. Isham, from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s paleo art section of its Web site.

Paleontological art is used by museums and textbook publishers, but that does not give a clue to the beautiful results and the intricacies involved with its creation. It requires that artists study fossils and remnants of life from long ago and requires the ability to render them with precision. In many cases, these artists must visually relay what no human being has ever actually witnessed. Everyone reading this column should visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's paleo art section of its splendid Web site (link provided). There, you can peruse its magnificent collection of historical art and read about the care and techniques used in the creation of the work. Everything from sensitive, delicate pencil illustration to photorealism is covered, as well as the science behind the artistic process. It's absolutely fascinating, and the work is the finest you will see anywhere. Scroll down to the bottom of each page and click "next" to fully sample the immense amount of goodies they offer. If you don't visit the site, your Culture Vulture will absolutely SULK for a week.

Antihistaminic action heroes

Another part of the art scene you may not have thought about is medical illustration. Remember the commercial for allergy or cold medicine that illustrated the process of antihistamines spreading through the body? Chances are, a medical illustrator or artist created the sequence. Of course you knew medical books and textbooks use medical illustrators, but think also of magazine articles on health and science, the aforementioned drug or skin-cream commercials, newspapers and pharmaceutical brochures and displays in medical offices. These artists need to be intelligent enough about anatomy to be able to communicate the information and processes simply and effectively.

Get this:

If any of this intrigues you, visit the Web links provided and get this book: "Art Forms in Nature," produced in 1899 by Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (ISBN 0486229874, 1974 edition; or ISBN 3791319906, 1998 edition). Haeckel's illustrations of organisms tiny and large, ornate and fierce, are a must-have for anyone who appreciates fine art, and the intelligence it requires of some of its designers.

Miriam Young is a creative director living in color in Roanoke.

Note: Some Web links provided by the Culture Vulture may contain art featuring nudity, strong political content and bizarre visions. Parental guidance is suggested. Please respect the copyrights of the owners when visiting online galleries, and obtain artists' permission before downloading any images.

And here are said links:

Smithsonian’s paleo art

Science-Art.com forum for artists and buyers

Museum of the Earth

Guild of Natural Science Illustrators links

Gary Staab Studios site (very fine artist)