One of the most interesting challenges facing educators today is how to engage students in meaningful study of the environment in which they live. This paper presents the benefits of studying scientific data from an aesthetic point of view. The visual display of the earth's surface through aerial photographs and satellite map images was used as the basis for interpretive art works created with dyed silk by high school students at the Pennsylvania Governor's School for Agricultural Sciences. Three main criteria were used to evaluate the final pieces: (1) use of color, (2) design (composition), and (3) approach (meaning). Final evaluations of the course suggested that it was a very satisfying experience for the students. Some of the outcomes gained through the exploration of mapping included: the development of visual literacy skills, including an ability to read symbols and layer information; an increase in knowledge pertaining to the origins and use of remote sensing data; and continued development of an aesthetic eye in the creation of unique works of art. (AEF)