Many look forward to the golden years of retirement as a time to focus on family, travel, leisure, or other enriching pursuits. For Dr. Duke S. Rogers, an emeritus biology professor and former director of the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum, retirement is also a time of learning and growth as he rededicates himself to his lifelong passion for art.
Rogers’s parents bought him an oil painting set when he was ten years old, and he was instantly hooked. He continued to take art classes in school, but when he took a biology class in 10th grade, he found he was captivated by science as well. From those courses, he decided he wanted to be a scientific illustrator when he grew up.
Graduating early from high school, Rogers made his way to college, where he developed a deep love for biology, specifically the natural history and evolution of small mammals. His undergrad experience inspired him to become a biology professor. Because of the rigorous nature of his PhD program, Rogers realized that he had to forego painting for the time being. “I knew if I was going to excel, I had to devote all my time to my education and my family,” Rogers says. “And there wasn’t time for art.”
Over the next 40 years, Rogers completed fewer than ten paintings, but his love for art never died. He was simply waiting for the precious gift of time so that he could dedicate himself to it once more. After retiring in January 2022, he finally received that gift and eagerly threw himself into mastering oil painting.
Depicting Science in Art
Interweaving science with the arts is one of Rogers’s favorite parts of painting. Many of his landscapes are based on photos he took as a professor while conducting fieldwork in places like Brazil and Mexico. “I’d see a sunset out in the field and think to myself, ‘Oh, that would make a great painting.’ And I would take a picture of it so someday I could paint it,” he says. His visually realistic art is like a personal history of his scientific explorations, and it invites viewers into the landscape.
Rogers deeply values art’s power to impact society and spark meaningful conversations through social commentary. Inspired by his firsthand observations, he intends to create a series of paintings that showcase the environmental degradation of western lands caused by overgrazing. Rogers has seen how overgrazing can lead to decreased biodiversity, erosion, and soil deterioration. He hopes these paintings will shed light on the disruption of natural habitats and raise awareness about this important environmental problem.
A Lifelong Expedition for Knowledge
As Brigham Young said, “It matters not what the subject be, if it tends to improve the mind, exalt the feelings, and enlarge the capacity. The truth that is in all the arts and sciences forms a part of our religion.”1
Curiosity in the arts and sciences fueled Rogers’s desire for lifelong learning and discovery. “One of the things I love most about science is that you can satisfy your curiosity. You can learn things,” explains Rogers. “And it’s the same with art. I’m always going to learn things, and I’m always going to satisfy my curiosity as I grow from my mistakes and try new techniques.”
Whether you’re a student, an alumnus, a staff or faculty member, or a retired employee, your time at BYU is the beginning of your quest for knowledge, not the end. Like Rogers, BYU can point you toward a path of lifelong learning. After all, no matter our field or expertise, there is always more to learn by study and by faith.
To see more art by Rogers, follow him on Instagram: @dukerogerspainter.