The Center for Maine Contemporary Art offers “Melt Down: Ten Artists Respond to Climate Change in the Arctic and Antarctic”

The Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) in Rockland is offering a thought-provoking and educational lecture series in conjunction with the exhibition Melt Down: Ten Artists Respond to Climate Change in the Arctic and Antarctic.

The second event in the series, “One World,” will take place on Sunday, May 5, at 3pm, and features respected photographer John Paul Caponigro in conversation with Peter Neill, founding director of World Ocean Observatory. “One World” is an in-depth discussion between two experts in their fields, illustrated by a slide presentation of Caponigro’s stunning photographs of the Polar Regions. The event is free to CMCA members, others with admission. Participants are encouraged to stay following the talk for refreshments and further discussion.

John Paul Caponigro is a pioneer among visual artists working with digital media. His life’s work is both a call to connection with nature and a call for conscientious creative interaction with our environment during a time of rapid change. Respected as an authority on creativity, photography, and fine art printing, he is a highly sought-after speaker, lecturing extensively at conferences, universities, and museums, in venues as diverse as Photoshop World, MIT, Google, and TEDx.

Peter Neill is founder and director of the World Ocean Observatory and serves as host of World Ocean Radio, a weekly podcast about the health of the ocean. In 2016 he received an appointment with the Climate Change Institute and represents the W2O as a Research Associate; he previously served 20 years as President of the South Street Seaport Museum, New York; is co-founder of The Sound School and The Harbor School; and has dedicated his career to marine affairs. His most recent book, The Once and Future Ocean: Notes Toward a New Hydraulic Society, is available wherever books are sold.

Through their experiences recording and responding to the visible and visceral markers of irrefutable change in the Polar Regions, the artists in “Melt Down” bring these physically remote places and the compelling need for action to a wider audience. Their work provides a route for inspiring awareness and response when overwhelming data and science have failed to motivate.

“Melt Down” will be on view at CMCA through June 9. For further information about the exhibition and accompanying programs, please visit cmcanow.org.