On January 28, 2021, the Antarctic Artists and Writers Collective launches its first online exhibition, Adequate Earth: Artists and Writers in Antarctica, which features works by 13 former participants of the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Artists and Writers Program (AAWP). The exhibition runs through May 22, 2021, and will be accompanied by a series of eight virtual events. Works from my 2015 project are part of the exhibition, specifically photographs taken inside the Erebus Ice Tongue Cave, including ones never before exhibited, and the Bird Ventifact sculpture. I am also participating in an online panel discussion on March 4 (see below). Register for this and the other events.

Since the early 1980s, over 120 writers, visual artists, composers, and performers have been selected by the National Science Foundation to work alongside scientists at one of the three United States research stations in Antarctica. As participants of the Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, they gain firsthand experience of the only continent with no permanent inhabitants, often dubbed “the continent of science” for the variety of research projects undertaken there. Without the disruption of human activity, Antarctica acts as a natural laboratory, where geological, ecological, and climatic changes are observed through in-depth, long-term studies. Bringing their unique perspectives and diverse practices, the artists take inspiration from the history of Antarctic exploration, scientific discoveries, and the unique landscape, to create works in response to the continent’s extreme and cognitively challenging environment. Many projects that started on “the Ice” and in the framework of the AAWP have continued to develop long after their authors’ return from Antarctica and have encouraged far-reaching conversations about the meaning of the continent in the past, the present, and the future.

The online exhibition Adequate Earth, which takes its title from a book of poetry written and published in the very early days of the Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, presents the projects of the 13 founding members of the Antarctic Artists and Writers Collective (AAWC). The Collective was founded in 2020 to inspire and educate the public about Antarctica and advocate for its vital role in understanding the world we live in. All of its 70 current members are past participants in the NSF Antarctic Artists and Writers Program. The Adequate Earth exhibition and events are the Collective’s first public initiative. Organized in four thematic sections and presenting works ranging from graphic arts to sculpture, photography, illustration, poetry, performance, and music, the exhibition not only introduces a selection of intriguing and innovative works to a broader audience but also offers a multi-faceted portrayal of present-day Antarctica.

Adequate Earth features works by Kirsten Carlson, Susan Fox Rogers, Helen Glazer, Henry Kaiser, Cheryl E. Leonard, Glenn McClure, Greg Neri, Shaun O’Boyle, Michelle Schwengel-Regala, Oona Stern, Patricia A. Suchy and Vince LiCata, and Karen Romano Young. The exhibition is curated by Ulrike Heine for the Antarctic Artists and Writers Collective. Support for the exhibition and events is provided by Aunt Karen’s Farm, SUNY Cobleskill, the Nevada Museum of Art, the Museum of Making Music and AAWC Exhibition Donors.

The full media kit is available at https://www.aawcollective.com/newsroom

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Thursday, March 4, 2021 – 6 pm EST
Form, Pattern, and Materiality: Antarctic Landscape(s) and Sculptural Practices
Presentations and panel discussion with Helen Glazer, Michelle Schwengel-Regala, Oona Stern, and Jann Rosen-Queralt
Zoom Webinar (registration required) and Facebook Live
Hosted by Antarctic Artists and Writers Collective