From the Great Lakes to the Great Plains: The Visible Currents of Climate Change

Often dismissed as "flyover country," the Great Lakes and Great Plains are, in reality, vital landscapes that reveal the complexities of water’s role in sustaining life, shaping communities, and fueling both industry and ecological degradation. The participating artists engage with these tensions, exploring how water is revered, exploited, protected, and, in many cases, stolen. Their works respond to historical and ongoing environmental injustices, Indigenous knowledge systems, industrial and agricultural interventions, and speculative futures shaped by climate resilience.

Beyond merely raising awareness, the artists featured in this exhibition propose imaginative and interdisciplinary solutions to the water crisis, drawing from fields such as ecology, activism, technology, and history. Their works span a range of mediums and approaches, offering profound insights into the urgent need for collective action in the face of an escalating global crisis. By merging artistic innovation with scientific inquiry and social engagement, they challenge us to rethink our relationship to water and the landscapes that depend on it.

Artists include Teresa Baker, Jess Benjamin, Nadia Botello, Andrea Carlson + Rozalinda Borcila, Hoesy Corona, Timothy Frerichs, Dana Fritz, Sky Hopinka, JeeYeun Lee, Dylan AT Miner, Trey Moody, John Pfahl, Platte Basin Timelapse, Asad Raza, Karen Reimer, Bently Spang, Anna Scime, Colleen Thurston, and Tali Weinberg.