Art and academia converge at Cornell University this January in a unique event aimed at integrating climate change education with the humanities. “Teaching About Climate Change: Art, Action and Reflection,” scheduled for January 28, will explore innovative teaching approaches that combine environmental consciousness with artistic expression.
Organized by the Center for Teaching Innovation and the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, this event invites Cornell faculty and graduate students to participate in an afternoon of insightful discussions and exhibits from 1-3:30 p.m. at the museum’s Robinson Lecture Hall, Level 2L, free of charge.
Cornell Faculty Panelists
The event will feature a panel of esteemed Cornell faculty, including Anna Margaret Davidson, a lecturer and senior research associate known for her work on ecological memory and environmental justice. She will share her experiences in teaching ecological arts as a response to the planet’s changing climate.
Another panelist, Caroline Levine, the David and Kathleen Ryan Professor of Humanities, will discuss how artistic endeavors can inspire significant climate action. Levine is the author of The Activist Humanist: Form and Method in the Climate Crisis and will explore whether raising awareness through the arts can lead to concrete environmental action.
Kelly Presutti, an assistant professor in the Department of History of Art and Visual Studies, will delve into art’s role amid climate change. Her forthcoming book, Land into Landscape: Art, Environment, and the Making of Modern France, examines the interrelation of state power, local communities, and environmental landscapes.
According to Melina Ivanchikova, associate director at CTI and co-organizer of the event, “The interdisciplinary approaches to teaching that our panelists will highlight is worth noting because of their thoughtful and creative engagement with humanities, art, science, technology, and people.”
A tour of “Naples: Course of Empire,” the new Alexis Rockman exhibit that opens at the Johnson Museum of Art on Jan. 20, is part of the “Teaching About Climate Change: Art, Action, and Reflection” event, to be held Jan. 28.
Interactive Discussions and Exhibit Tour
Besides panel presentations, attendees will engage in small group discussions and tour the “Naples: Course of Empire” exhibit by Alexis Rockman. This exhibit, opening on January 20, uses metaphor and emotion to envision speculative futures, aiming to evoke a sense of urgency about environmental issues.
Co-organizer Jakub Koguciuk, the Lynch Postdoctoral Associate for Curricular Engagement at the museum, emphasizes the event’s purpose to foster community connections and stimulate shared educational strategies on climate topics.
Ivanchikova notes, “Our overarching goal with these programs is to create space for dialogue and learning across disciplines about various approaches and challenges to teaching about climate change.”
Continuing Educational Initiatives
This event marks the fourth in a series by CTI aimed at promoting cross-disciplinary climate education. Previous collaborations have included panels, workshops, and a summer learning community. The CTI has also partnered with the Sustainable Cornell Council and the Atkinson Center for Sustainability to host topical lunches on integrating research with climate education.
Future events in Spring 2026 include a March topical lunch at the Atkinson Center and the return of the “Teaching Climate Change: Preparing Students for Their Future” learning community in late May 2026.
Original Story at news.cornell.edu