Climate Change at the Poles May 21, 2009

The prospect of climate change raises some elemental questions. For example, what impact will changing conditions have on current culture, thought, behavior and artistic expression? Can art itself be an agent of change? With this exhibition the Spencer intends to underscore the importance of cooperation between scientists, art historians, artists, sociologists and others in understanding historic and present-day changes to the Poles. By integrating art, photographs, objects of material culture, maps and quantitative data, we will attempt to delve into the cultural responses to and relationships with these unforgiving environments.