DANBURY, CONN. — The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum and Western Connecticut State University have partnered to present “Weather Report: A Symposium on Art and Weather” from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, in Room 125 of the Science Building on the university’s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. This event is free, but pre-registration is required at www.wcsu.edu/artweather.
The symposium is in conjunction with the exhibition “Weather Report,” which will be on view from Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019, to Sunday, March 29, 2020, at The Aldrich, 258 Main St. in Ridgefield. “Weather Report” presents a group of diverse international artists who reference weather in provocative ways through sculpture, drawing, painting, installation and video. Works of art will manifest phenomena such as clouds, wind, rain, snow, temperature extremes, storms and visibility, while individual works will approach subjects that include climate change, the emotional effects of weather, the relationship between the atmosphere and the earth’s oceans, weather as a metaphor for turmoil and change, and weather’s impact on history and politics.
The museum, in partnership with the WCSU Meteorology Club, the Meteorology program in WCSU’s Macricostas School of Arts & Sciences and the New York City/Long Island American Meteorological Society, has organized a one-day, cross-disciplinary symposium investigating the intersection of art and weather. This event will have a morning and afternoon session. Lunch will be available for purchase from WCSU’s Student Center Cafeteria.
A wide range of speakers will present on topics relating to art and weather. Noted WCBS 880 Chief Radio Meteorologist Craig Allen will discuss his experience reporting on weather and emcee the event. UConn Stormwise Forest Management Researcher Amanda Bunce, studies tree-related storm damage to power lines, and will collect data from a tree sited in The Aldrich’s Sculpture Garden and present that data in the exhibition with the help of UConn’s Digital Experience Lab. Also speaking will be New York Botanical Garden Arthur Ross Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections Todd Forrest, an advocate for historic trees and forests in urban landscapes and public gardens.
The Aldrich’s Exhibitions Director Richard Klein organized “Weather Report” and will discuss the experience of creating this interdisciplinary exhibition and program. Artist Kim Keever, formerly a thermal engineer primarily working on NASA projects, is well known for his large-scale photographic works. Colin McMullan’s artwork touches on environmentalism, New England history and land use, community organizing, and political activism. Pat Pickett has been engaged in a long-running experimental drawing project expressing the interaction between the force of the wind and plants. All three of these artists are exhibiting in “Weather Report.”
For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486 or Emily Devoe at (203) 438-4519, ext. 140, or edevoe@aldrichart.org.
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.