The College of Wooster Art Museum fall exhibition features two artists highlighting environmentalism

For fall 2024, The College of Wooster Art Museum (CWAM) is displaying the exhibitions, “Passages: Tales of the Snow Migrant” in the Burton D. Morgan Gallery and “Our Disappearing Darkness: Meditations on Losing the Night Sky” in the Sussel Gallery until Dec. 6. Both exhibitions, hosted in the museum’s location inside the Ebert Art Center, invite viewers to rethink their connection with human-caused environmental problems. One artist was hosted for a talk on their work on Sept. 10, and the other artist talk will take place on Sept. 17.

Esslinger visited campus to discuss her work on Tuesday, Sept. 10 and Sharp will visit campus on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. The talk will be held in Ebert Art Center (1220 Beall Ave) room 223 with a short reception and opportunity to view the exhibitions before and after the talk.  

Claudia Esslinger, “Passages: Tales of the Snow Migrant” installation view, 2024. Photograph courtesy of the artist.

In “Passages” Claudia Esslinger, recently retired studio art faculty from Kenyon College, combines projections and sculpture to tell the imagined story of a voyager arriving on the shores of a shrinking Antarctic landscape, to provoke a sense of urgency, empathy, and motivation for climate action from her audience.  

“Our Disappearing Darkness” from MJ Sharp, an artist and educator from Durham, North Carolina, challenges viewers to consider what they’re missing in a busy, light-polluted world. This installation includes a series of seven images, visions of the night skies over prehistoric landscapes in Cornwall and Avebury in England. One image will be displayed each day to promote a deeper viewing for visitors. 

“Visitors may find the exhibitions challenging as they demand a different kind of attention than they may be used to in a museum. Each is somewhat spare and direct, and people may wonder if this is all there is to see,” said Marianne Wardle, director and curator of CWAM. “We hope visitors embrace a different kind of contemplative experience as they settle in and give themselves the time and space for thoughts to quiet and observations to sharpen.”  

MJ Sharp, “Avebury Road, Cornwall, UK, 2022.” Photograph courtesy of the artist.

In addition to the artist talks, the CWAM will host events to help audiences reconnect to the night. Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. Rachel David and student interns from the Wellness Center will help visitors rethink their dependency on technology with a program on digital wellness. On Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. Amy Jo Stavenezer, professor of psychology and neuroscience, will help visitors understand the neuroscience of sleep and how they can understand their natural rhythms to get better sleep. The CWAM is also working with Brian Webb, director of sustainability, to provide interactions and learning moments of sustainability in the museum atrium.  

The CWAM is open Tuesday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 1 to 4 p.m. All exhibitions and events are free and open to the public. For additional information or to find out more about museum events, visit the CWAM website or call 330-263-2495. 

Posted in Event on September 11, 2024.