SUNY Cobleskill is proud to present a series of virtual events as part of an upcoming exhibition with the Antarctic Artists and Writers Collective. The Collective has prepared an online exhibition, Adequate Earth: Artists and Writers in Antarctica, consisting of works by its 13 founding members, to premiere on the AAWC website in late January. A series of virtual events will be presented in conjunction with the exhibition, three of which will be hosted by SUNY Cobleskill and moderated by College faculty members. All events are free and open to the public.
The AAWC is comprised of past participants in the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Artists and Writers Program who have traveled to the seventh continent over the past 40 years. Its mission is to inspire and educate the public about Antarctica and its scientific exploration through collaborations in art, music, writing, and performance. Currently, the AAWC has 69 members.
The collaboration between SUNY Cobleskill and AAWC came about through a common partnership with Aunt Karen’s Farm, a retreat for arts and sciences near Cooperstown, N.Y. The farm began hosting SUNY Cobleskill students as interns in 2018, allowing them to use the land as a practicum classroom. Owner Karen Shafer, who took a post-retirement job with the United States Antarctic Program at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, hosted the original 13 members of the AAWC at an inaugural reunion in 2019. At that time, the Collective toured the SUNY Cobleskill campus.
“Our College and this Collective both reside at the intersection of arts and sciences,” said Dr. Marion Terenzio, president, SUNY Cobleskill. “For centuries, scientists relied on artists and writers to capture their findings and discoveries and communicate them with the public at large. This group is continuing this age-old practice and introducing us to a continent to which many of us are completely unfamiliar. I am sure that our students and faculty will take many lessons from these virtual exhibits and open doors for future collaboration.”
Feb. 25, 2021; 6 p.m.
Herbert Ponting’s “The Great White Silence” (1924). Pre-event film screening and panel discussion with Patricia A. Suchy, Vince LiCata, Shaun O’Boyle, and Douglas C. MacLeod Jr., DA. Pre-event screening via Eventbrite (space limited, register to access). Panel discussion via Zoom Webinar (registration required).
March, 18, 2021; 12 p.m.
Tales and Pictures from Antarctica: Diving Under the Ice and Climbing Glaciers for Science Communication. Presentations and panel discussion with Kirsten Carlson, Karen Romano Young, and Andrew Gascho Landis, Ph.D. Zoom Webinar (registration required).
April 29, 2021; 6 p.m.
Writing Antarctica. Readings and panel discussion with Greg Neri, Susan Fox Rogers, William L. Fox, and Leigh Anne Christain, Ph.D. Zoom Webinar (registration required).
Visit www.aawcollective.com for registration details and a full schedule of exhibition events.
About SUNY Cobleskill:
With an emphasis on experiential education, SUNY Cobleskill prepares students for successful careers, advanced studies, and engaged citizenship. SUNY Cobleskill is an accredited, baccalaureate, residential college with a rich academic tradition that spans 100 years. Today, more than 2,500 students are enrolled in the 52 baccalaureate and associate degree programs offered through two schools – The School of Agriculture and Natural Resources and The School of Business and Liberal Arts and Sciences. Learn more at www.Cobleskill.edu.
About The Antarctic Artists and Writers Collective:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) established the Antarctic Artists and Writers Program (AAWP) in the early 1980s. Since then, over 120 artists, performers, and writers have gone to the ice on a zero-dollar grant, using their creative talents to tell the story of this largely unexplored continent. The Antarctic Artists and Writers Collective (AAWC) is a collaborative effort to bring those talents together to share their work, past, present, and future, with the public.
