On display daily January 25 – May 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside the Baker Exhibit Center, Environmental Impact II features more than 50 artworks, including paintings, photography, sculptures and film, focused on generating public attention surrounding environmental issues and unintended consequences of human interaction with nature. Produced and curated by David J. Wagner, topics covered in this exhibit include global climate change, the Gulf oil spill, unabated logging and mining, loss of bee populations and more. Discover the fragility and hopeful resiliency of our world through the eyes of more than 20 leading contemporary artists.
Exhibit support for Environmental Impact II is provided in part by The North Carolina Arboretum Society, Asheville Citizen-Times, RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide, Smoky Mountain Living Magazine and Lamar Advertising Company.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT II, Produced by David J. Wagner, L.L.C., David J. Wagner, Ph.D., Curator/Tour Director. Photo credit: Karen Hackenberg, Have an Ice Day, 2015, 72 x 60 inches, oil on canvas. Collection of Johnna and Fred Kleisner.
Interested in Learning More?
The Arboretum’s Adult Education department has put together a handful of course offerings that dovetail nicely with the themes of this exhibit. Delve deeper into an understanding of our impact on the environment this spring with the following classes:
Survival by Degrees: Birds and Climate Change
Tuesday, February 11, 4 – 6 p.m.
In 2019, National Audubon released Survival By Degrees, a study on the impact of climate change on birds on North America. In this class, we will discuss the results of this study and what that means for people looking to help out the birds in their own backyard.
Nature, Art, and Community: Responding to Our Changing World
Wednesday, April 22, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
During this half day retreat, participants will use writing, time in nature, and art making to explore ways to deepen their connection to self, each other and their natural world. There will be time for silence, centering and connection that can inform our day-to-day lives in the communities we live.
Endangered: Understanding the Biology and Conservation of Imperiled Species
Wednesdays, April 22 – May 13, 6 – 8 p.m.
The purpose of this course is to introduce people to endangered species, including a few that call the grounds of The North Carolina Arboretum home. The course will feature a discussion of ways that citizens can contribute to the protection and conservation of endangered species and ecosystems.