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.

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Bemis Center partnered with the Omaha Public Library on a reading list to accompany this exhibition. The books—ranging across age groups and genres—were central to the research process behind the show.