Most people would think art and science are as good of a match as oil and water.

But not Barbara Mink. She's trying to push the envelope of conventional pairings this weekend with Light in Winter, a fusion of music, art and science that's all about risk-taking.

"There's not a predictable lecture all weekend," said Mink, the festival's artistic director.

The festival's major events range from a classical concert by the world-renowned Kronos Quartet to the Brazilian music of the Paul Winter Consort and dancers from Manhattan Samba to a performance of "Ballet Mechanique," which celebrates the mechanical ways of producing art.

The marriage of the two dissimilar fields of study is not that far off, Mink said. She's found that even professors at Cornell University and Ithaca College from the different disciplines don't know they work on the same campus.

"Scientists and artists are more alike than you'd think," she said. "You get tunnel vision. You do what you do and don't think about others. It's nice to break down those walls."

Mink made it a point to break down those same kinds of barriers between the Ithaca community and its institutions of higher education.

"One of my main missions was to introduce people to these internationally-known thinkers," she said. "This is really for people who are curious and want to experience things in a friendly way."

Even though the festival is only in its second year, Mink is already considering what themes she could expand upon next year. Her favorite dichotomy of the moment: order and chaos.

"The possibilities are endless," she said.

Staff writer Liz Hacken can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 267 or elizabeth.hacken@lee.net