Announcing Our 2025-2026 Data Art Prize Finalist

After fielding a robust pool of applicants in our inaugural year, we are thrilled to announce the 2025-2026 Scholars’ Lab Data Art Prize Finalist. We are delighted to feature String Art Visualization: Social network analysis (SNA) of the Concurso de Cante Jondo (1922) by Sara Arribas Colmenar in our Scholars’ Lab community space in the coming 2025-26 academic year.

Sara Arribas Colmenar (Christopher Newport University; Ph.D. in Spanish and Visual Studies, Penn State), specializes in early 20th-century Spanish literature, dance, and performance. As part of her dissertation, Constellations of Artists: A Study of Creative Spaces and Social Network Analysis in Spanish Intellectual Public Exhibitions and Circuits (1909-1936), Sara has used data visualization methods to map cultural networks within Spain’s artistic and intellectual circles. She previously served as a Graduate Research Assistant of Digital Liberal Arts at Penn State’s Digital Pedagogies and Initiatives Office, where she honed her skills in digital methodologies. Her digital work includes developing projects related to social network analysis, digital editions, and interactive timelines.

This project aims to translate the results of a social network analysis (SNA) of the Concurso de Cante Jondo (1922) into a physical string art piece. The Concurso de Cante Jondo (1922) was a pivotal cultural event in the history of flamenco, held in Granada to preserve and promote the purest form of flamenco singing. The data for this project was carefully curated from various historical sources, including official records, newspapers, and photographs, allowing for the mapping of key events, people, and connections that defined the contest and its impact on the flamenco and cultural scene of the time.

Look forward to more details about Sara’s installation when it is unveiled, and plan to join us for her virtual presentation and methods discussion later in the Fall. Until then, you can follow her work on this project and others at @sararribas.bsky.social.