ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) - Art, science and culture will combine in Native Skywatchers - Earth Sky Connections, a series of 12 free art workshops and classes led by four artists with Native American heritage.

For me personally, as an astronomer and an artist, I feel that art is to me about this expression that comes from the heart and a lot from our own experience, Annette Lee told the St. Cloud Times (http://on.sctimes.com/1FizRTO ). The science is kind of like the counter-balance to that, where the science is about logical thinking, linear thinking. But it also has some magic and some things that are amazing.

Lee, a painter and an associate professor of astronomy and physics at St. Cloud State University, secured the $25,000 Minnesota State Arts Board grant thats funding the series.

Four workshops will be in St. Cloud, including two open to the public and two at Kennedy Community School. The rest are at the Duluth Art Institute, the Mille Lacs Indian Museum near Onamia and Fond du Lac Ojibwe School in Cloquet.

During her presentation, As it Is Above; It Is Below, Lee will talk about constellations and Native American star knowledge while painters (organizers encourage beginners to attend) create a piece that ties constellations to a season. She plans to bring a solar telescope to augment the hands-on science.

When she teaches astronomy or runs a St. Cloud State Planetarium program, Lee sees excitement and curiosity run through the audience. Through Native Skywatchers - Earth Sky Connections, she aims to spark interest in both art and science.

What I see is that theyre both equally powerful, and in our time, our civilization has really kind of shut down or put aside the art part as maybe an extra or just a hobby or not so important. The technology has sort of reigned the day, and we have all of the high-paying jobs in the sciences - and thats great. But I really feel as human beings that we have both parts to our being, our existence, Lee said.

St. Joseph-based artist Anne Meyer, who incorporates drawing into her clay work, will bring raw materials from her farm to use in her sessions, Be Humble for You Are Made of Earth. Meyer will share the Minnesota geology lessons she learned, which explain where clay is found, how it got there and how it was made.

The knowledge helps put the session in context.

Participants will hand-build a pot using a coil method used not only to make pre-settlement Oneota ceramics but also currently used around the world where pots are hand-built. A wooden paddle wrapped in cords will give the pots texture as it compresses and strengthens the clay.

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Workshops meld art with Native American astronomy, culture