“GHOST HOUSE”: This painting by Joanie Chirico is on view at the D&R Greenway’s Johnson Education Center through August 26. The exhibition titled “Art as Activism: Climate Change” demonstrates the role of artists in the climate change movement.

“Art as Activism: Climate Change” is on view at D&R Greenway Land Trust’s Johnson Education Center, One Preservation Place, through August 26. Art works document nature’s threatened beauty and show the influence of artists on the climate change discussion in the Anthropocene era. An artists’ reception will take place Friday, July 15, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. 

“The exhibition demonstrates the powerful role that artists have in the climate change movement,” says D&R Greenway Curator Diana Moore. “Art that is both creative and data-driven inspires deep contemplation about global warming in a way that other types of activism cannot.”

“The mission of the Marie L. Matthews Art Gallery at D&R Greenway’s Johnson Education Center is to inspire a conservation ethic through the visual celebration
of nature,” says D&R Greenway president and CEO Linda Mead. “We want this exhibit to focus attention on the increasing urgency of effectively countering catastrophic climate change, by evoking nature’s powerful and vulnerable beauty. By provoking thought about this issue of our time, we aim to drive people to action and highlight ways we can all be stewards of the planet. Individual acts and new connections are essential in order to turn the tide, climate-wise, in the 21st century.”

Exhibiting artists include Joanie Gagnon San Chirico, Susan Hoenig, Bill Hoo, Joy Kreves, Nancy Lynn Toolan, and Tricia Zimic.

Susan Hoenig’s “The Walrus and the Arctic Circle” sets the tone for the exhibition. When sea ice recedes, walruses must either continue to haul out on the sea ice with little access to food, or abandon sea ice for coastal areas where they can rest on land. Her “Sleeping on Ice” features the Weddell Seal, whose continued existence relies upon ice around Antarctica and nearby islands. The ice sheet Antarctic, along with the surrounding sea ice reflects about 85 percent of the sun’s energy. Melting ice water affects deep-sea circulation, which intensively alters climate. Hoenig’s marine animals can be viewed as metaphors for the human condition, as warming air and seas increasingly diminishes essential habitat.

Throughout her career, the work of Tricia Zimic has been particularly attuned to this exhibit’s theme: “My art is a narrative statement of the human impact upon the earth’s surface,” says Zimic. She is known for presenting wild animals among arresting found objects, especially in urban areas. In recent months, Zimic has particularly included women among the endangered species she celebrates. In various media, Zimic honors “that which we have with us today, but may lose tomorrow,” as uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions increasingly alter every aspect of human life.

To RSVP to the free opening reception, email rsvp@drgreenway.org. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; closed holidays. Call to confirm gallery availability at (609) 924-4646 or www.drgreenway.org.