Alaska’s March temperature was 15.9°F above normal, the warmest March in 95 years of recordkeeping, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Amidst this sobering news, the art exhibition opening April 15, 2019 at the Nurture Nature Center in Easton, PA could not be more timely or compelling.
Alaskan Journey: Artists Bear Witness to Climate Change features artwork by two Philadelphians, Peter Handler and Karen Singer, who traveled to Alaska in 2015 to meet with scientists, examine the impacts of climate change, and paint and photograph what they saw.
Peter Handler, Stampede Road View of the Alaska Range (2015). Photograph. © Handler Studio 2015.
Presented by Honoring the Future, the exhibition showcases Alaska’s breathtaking beauty. “To know what we want to save, we need to know what we savor,” explains Handler. But the artists also portray the climate change challenges Alaska confronts: Wildfires are more frequent and massive. Soil – once thought to be permanently frozen – is thawing, toppling forests, roads, houses and whatever lies atop. Ponds bubble with methane gas escaping from decaying organic matter.
Peter Handler, Firefighters at Aggie Creek (2015). Photograph. © Handler Studio 2015.
Because Alaska is warming faster than any other state, the impacts of climate change are more readily seen there. “These two artists are expert storytellers,” observes Fran Dubrowski, Director of Honoring the Future. “They deliver a powerful visual image of what is at stake, foreshadowing the enormity of the challenges faced by the lower 48 States as rising temperatures reshape their landscapes too.”
The Nurture Nature Center’s Science on a Sphere® globe set against a wall mural of Alexis Rockman’s Manifest Destiny. Photo courtesy of the Nurture Nature Center.
“We are thrilled to present this exhibition in partnership with the Nurture Nature Center,” added Dubrowski. “With its expertise in science, art and community dialog, the Center is a highly effective – and very engaging – public educator.”
Keri Maxfield, Art Director at the Center, elaborated: “We’re excited about the programs we’ve planned to accompany this exhibition. We’re especially proud to offer an eye-opening, visually captivating Science on a Sphere® program for local high school students: You Call It Home, I Call It The Living Earth – NASA Sees Earth From Space. The program will feature Maurice Henderson, Education and Public Outreach Engineer from NASA’S Goddard Space Flight Center, providing a novel perspective on Earth and its climate challenges.”
The exhibition is on display at the Center from April 15 through June 20, 2019. From April 15 through May 15, 2019, visitors can also don headsets to watch Let’s Explore, Honoring the Future’s 360° virtual reality film on climate change.
The Center is located at 518 Northampton Street, Easton, PA 18042. The gallery is free and open to the public Wednesdays and Saturdays from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm and Thursdays from 6:00 pm -9:00 pm. The Science on a Sphere® program will take place Friday, April 26 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm with a reception to follow.
