BTN.com LiveBIG Staff, January 10, 2016

[btn-post-package]Purdue has a well-deserved reputation as one of the top engineering, technology and science universities in the United States. It?s widely recognized in areas ranging from space exploration to supercomputers.

But that doesn?t mean the school lacks an artistic side. As a series of photos from the previous year shows, there?s plenty of creativity on offer in West Lafayette, Ind.

Here are a few pictures from a recent "year's best" list of Purdue photography that show the innovative work that the school?s ?right brains? produced in 2015.

Purdue?s Spring Fest 2015 coincided with the ?Soundsuit Invasion,? a performance planned by Chicago artist Nick Cave. The ?Invasion? featured Purdue Contemporary Dance Company student dancers performing a selection of soundsuits created by the artist. The dancers were accompanied by faculty and student musicians from Purdue Bands & Orchestras and the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Visual and Performing Arts. (Photo courtesy of Purdue University and Mark Simons.)
Purdue?s Spring Fest 2015 coincided with the ?Soundsuit Invasion,? a performance planned by Chicago artist Nick Cave. The ?Invasion? featured Purdue Contemporary Dance Company student dancers performing a selection of soundsuits created by the artist. The dancers were accompanied by faculty and student musicians from Purdue Bands & Orchestras and the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Visual and Performing Arts. (Photo courtesy of Purdue University and Mark Simons.)
Marion T. ?Mo? Trout, Purdue's director of jazz bands, warms up before the ?Soundsuit Invasion? performance. Trout was the 2015 recipient of the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation Educator of the Year Award. (Photo courtesy of Purdue University and Mark Simons.)
Marion T. ?Mo? Trout, Purdue's director of jazz bands, warms up before the ?Soundsuit Invasion? performance. Trout was the 2015 recipient of the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation Educator of the Year Award. (Photo courtesy of Purdue University and Mark Simons.)
The Purdue Contemporary Dance Company presented its Winter Works 2015 performance Dec. 11-12 at the Nancy T. Hansen Theatre in Pao Hall. Visual and performing arts? sound design students created original music for all seven dance works. (Photo courtesy of Purdue University and Mark Simons.)
The Purdue Contemporary Dance Company presented its Winter Works 2015 performance Dec. 11-12 at the Nancy T. Hansen Theatre in Pao Hall. Visual and performing arts? sound design students created original music for all seven dance works. (Photo courtesy of Purdue University and Mark Simons.)
The Visiting Our Solar System (VOSS) sculpture as seen at night with a combination of high dynamic range (HDR) and a long exposure to capture the star trails over Purdue. The $1.5 million student-led interactive exhibit puts the size of space in perspective and celebrates the contributions of the late alumna and NASA astronaut Janice Voss. This photo was shot for Purdue Alumnus Magazine. (Photo courtesy of Purdue University and Charles Jischke Photography.)
The Visiting Our Solar System (VOSS) sculpture as seen at night with a combination of high dynamic range (HDR) and a long exposure to capture the star trails over Purdue. The $1.5 million student-led interactive exhibit puts the size of space in perspective and celebrates the contributions of the late alumna and NASA astronaut Janice Voss. This photo was shot for Purdue Alumnus Magazine. (Photo courtesy of Purdue University and Charles Jischke Photography.)
Purdue Theatre opened its 2015-16 season with ?Betty?s Diner, The Musical.? The production, with music and lyrics by Carrie Newcomer, tells of a stranger's arrival at a diner struggling to keep the doors open. (Photo courtesy of Purdue University and John Underwood.)
Purdue Theatre opened its 2015-16 season with ?Betty?s Diner, The Musical.? The production, with music and lyrics by Carrie Newcomer, tells of a stranger's arrival at a diner struggling to keep the doors open. (Photo courtesy of Purdue University and John Underwood.)