From the Great Lakes to the Great Plains: The Visible Currents of Climate Change
Examining the interrelationship between past, present, and future landscapes of the Great Lakes and Great Plains regions, this exhibition highlights how water remains at the core of all climate change conversations. These two distinct yet interconnected regions—one defined by vast freshwater systems and the other by expansive prairies and riverways—serve as critical sites for understanding the environmental, cultural, and political dimensions of water. Through a diverse range of artistic practices, the exhibition brings together artists who are originally from, currently living in, or who have lived in these areas, emphasizing the urgency of climate-related challenges on both a local and global scale.
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.
Explore More in the Gallery Guide.
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.
Asad Raza, Orientation, 2022. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Field Studio.
Bently Spang, War Shirt #6 – Waterways, 2017. Courtesy of the artist.
Teresa Baker, Missouri River, 2022. Courtesy of the artist and de boer, Los Angeles and Antwerp. Photo: Jacob Philip.
From the Great Lakes to the Great Plains: The Visible Currents of Climate Change is generously supported, in part, by:
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