ArtsWestchester exhibition examines climate crisis through the lens of the Hudson Valley

White Plains, N.Y. (October 2, 2025) – A powerful new exhibition at ArtsWestchester explores the profound effects of the global climate crisis on the Hudson Valley’s environment.

Meltdown: A changing climate features the work of 13 contemporary artists who focus on the region's shifting relationship with ice and water, from a historical resource to a current existential threat. Curated by Patricia Miranda, the exhibition focuses on ice, a material that artists have long used for its monumentality, natural aesthetics, and perceived permanence.

The exhibition opens on Sat., October 11 with an opening reception from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., including a special artist’s presentation beginning at 4:00 p.m. The exhibition will be on view through January 11.

“The artists in the exhibition blend scientific research with powerful aesthetics highlighting how artists help us better understand the challenges we face as a society,” explains Kathleen Reckling, ArtsWestchester CEO.

The works directly address the potential devastation posed by rising tides to the built environment and natural resources. Global warming continues to fuel extreme weather, including unusual winter ice accumulation in other areas, as seen in Buffalo in early 2022. The exhibition underscores the urgency of these dramatic and accelerating changes.

Featured artists have created unique artworks in response to environmental disasters and shifts. For example, Itte S. Neuhaus photographs icebergs, then deliberately alters their surfaces to show melting ice breaking through, a potent metaphor for how society is only beginning to comprehend the true scale of the Earth’s rapid transformation.

Related Family Programming: Second Saturdays

The exhibition opening coincides with the launch of ArtsWestchester's Second Saturdays Free Family Workshops made possible by New York Presbyterian. These hands-on art workshops will run from noon to 2:00 p.m. on the following dates in the gallery:

• October 11
• November 8
• December 13
• January 10

Designed to help children ages 5 to 12 explore and understand the exhibition’s themes, Second Saturdays host tours, activities, and free hands-on art workshops.

The October 11 free Second Saturday family art workshop will focus on environmental responsibility and the aquatic world with workshops including:

• Sculpture Making: Creating art with everyday waste materials like paper rolls, coffee filters, paper/cardboard containers, and paper cups.
• Bottle Creatures: Learning to cut, mold, and shape plastic cups and containers to create beautiful water creatures.
• Mask-Making: Using paper, paint, and markers to craft aquatic animal masks.

Exhibition Opening Day Event Details:

• What: Meltdown: A changing climate
• On View: October 11, 2025 – January 11, 2026
• Opening Reception: Sat., October 11, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Artist Presentation, Sat., October 11, 4 p.m.
• Second Saturday free family workshop, Sat., Oct. 11, 12-2 p.m.
• Where: ArtsWestchester Gallery, 31 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601

Photo caption: Jaanika Peerna, Ice Memory