Kean Art Exhibit Explores Climate Change Through Art

A new exhibition at Kean University explores the effects of climate change through art. Glacial Dimensions: Art and the Global Ice Melt, opening Monday, Feb. 1 at the Karl and Helen Burger Gallery, features a first-time collaboration between Philadelphia artists Diane Burko and Paula Winokur, both of whom have traveled the world with scientists monitoring the shrinking ice. Burko's large-scale photographs and Winokur's white porcelain sculpture bring those arctic experiences indoors, juxtaposing nature's beauty with its loss.

The exhibition is "an effective way to encourage awareness of this vital issue that has global and local implications," said Neil Tetkowski, director of University Galleries.

"Art, as opposed to reading a newspaper or looking at a graph, can hit the viewer on an emotional level and help them connect," said Burko. "I try to seduce people with the beauty of our natural environment. I fear that beauty is being threatened by man-made decisions."

In partnership with Kean University Galleries, the School of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences (SESS) has scheduled a semester-long program of lectures and film screenings to further explore the science behind climate change. Art-SCAPES, or Art in Science, Climate, and Adaptation: Picturing Environments and Sustainability, includes an artists reception on Tuesday, April 12 at 5 p.m. in the gallery and a panel discussion on Wednesday, April 13 at 10 a.m. in the Miron Student Center's Little Theatre.

"The panel discussion will bring together artists and scientists to discuss climate change in terms of resources, hydrology of the planet and atmosphere, sustainability and human rights," said Feng Qi, Ph.D., SESS executive director. "Through these multiple perspectives, we hope to inspire our students to explore new approaches to addressing this critical problem."

Winokur believes art can open the door of understanding for some students.

"One of my intentions is to bring my vision of the outside into the gallery where people can see through my eyes what I have seen," she said. "The students are our hope. I am hoping we can impress on them the urgency that we feel."

Glacial Dimensions: Art and the Global Ice Melt runs through April 30. The exhibit and all Art-SCAPES events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.kean.edu/~gallery.

To learn more about the Art-SCAPES program, including details about upcoming lectures and film screenings, visit visit www.kean.edu/~sess.

ABOUT KEAN UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1855, Kean University has become one of the largest metropolitan institutions of higher education in the region, with a richly diverse student, faculty and staff population. Kean continues to play a key role in the training of teachers and is a hub of educational, technological and cultural enrichment serving nearly 15,000 students. The Nathan Weiss Graduate College offers four doctorate degree programs and more than 60 options for graduate study leading to master's degrees, professional diplomas or certifications. The University's six undergraduate colleges offer 50 undergraduate degrees over a full range of academic subjects. With campuses in Union and Toms River, New Jersey, and Wenzhou, China, Kean University furthers its mission by providing an affordable, accessible and world-class education. Visit Kean online at www.kean.edu.