During a walkthrough of the new exhibit, “Seeing Climate Change?” at the William Benton Museum of Art on Friday, Feb. 17, guests were encouraged to think about the past, present and future impacts of climate change. Robert Thorson, a professor of earth sciences at the University of Connecticut, led the walkthrough and carefully explained each exhibit section.
The exhibit featured art in various mediums, including paintings, sketches, an animated video and photographs. It also featured different types of rocks and tools used to measure weather data. Displaying various art pieces and objects helped connect the exhibit’s theme.
Blanche Serban, a local artist who painted Horsebarn Hill every day for a whole year, inspired Thorson to create the new exhibit. Thorson thought that through the collection of historic paintings The Benton has, people would be able to see the phenological changes of the world around us caused by climate change. By looking at the paintings, modern-day visitors see what the environment looked like around a hundred years ago, “look at the paintings and think, ‘can I see climate change in the paintings?’” said Thorson.
Further emphasizing the exhibit’s message, in the center gallery above two paintings is a quote from Mark Twain: “Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get.” During the walkthrough, Thorson explained that weather is what we feel every day, while climate is a prediction of what the weather will be.
“I think defining terms is important. I think if you walk away just knowing the difference between climate and weather, that’s a win,” said Amanda Douberly, an assistant curator and liaison for the museum.
An oil on canvas painting titled “The Unfolding Year,” created by Carleton Wiggins in 1924, depicts lambs grazing in a deep green field on a beautiful spring day. The exhibit label for the painting encourages guests to think about what the painting might look like every day at the same time in the same spot for a year.
In comparison, an animated video installation presents evidence of climate change. Thorson highly encouraged guests to check out the animated video if they walk through the exhibit. The video shows the temperature changes the world has experienced because of climate change throughout the years.
In relation to the exhibit, there is a podcast titled “Seeing Climate Change?” hosted by WHUS. In this eight-episode series, students talk specifically about climate change with various topics such as what scientists think about cows contributing to climate change and “the campus itself,” Dourberly said.
“I think that it’s really not about me or even The Benton; it’s about the audience. Are they engaged? Are they thinking about climate? Are they more mindful about how things are changing? And if the answer is yes…then I’m psyched because ultimately I’m an educator,” said Thorson.
As Thorson led the walkthrough, the audience listened attentively, fully immersed in everything Thorson said. Attending an exhibit walkthrough is an excellent way for guests to understand the exhibit on a deeper level. For those who haven’t attended, exploring the exhibit still would still have been a great experience but would not have left as significant of an impact.
The walkthrough with Thorson included hearing the story of what inspired the exhibit, who was involved, and how to understand the paintings on a deeper level. If you enjoy learning and questioning the world around you, attending an exhibit walkthrough is a must. For those who want to view the “Seeing Climate Change?” exhibit, guests can view it at The Benton until July 28, 2024.