Contending with the climate crisis at scale requires a transformation of our public culture. The Climate Museum mobilizes the power of arts and cultural programming to accelerate this crucial shift toward climate dialogue and action, connecting people and advancing just solutions. The popularity and trust held by museums help us bring people together to learn and to join the fight for a brighter future through pathways that include interdisciplinary exhibitions, art installations, interactive panels, performances, science events, youth programs, and more.
There is a bipartisan American supermajority that supports bold climate policy — but it is a supermajority yet to be activated. While two thirds of us want to see sweeping changes and progress, we so dramatically misperceive climate sentiment that we believe two thirds of us are opposed to these policies. The researchers who recently identified this gap between what we perceive and the truth call it a “false social reality.”
The ubiquitous misperception of American indifference on climate creates a spiral of silence and passivity, which the Museum counters with inclusive, equity-centered programming that helps people turn away from resignation toward their own courage, connectedness, and agency. Our visitors emphatically express the value of this work.
Over the last five years, the Museum has presented eight exhibitions and more than 300 events; engaged 350+ high school students in leadership, advocacy, and arts programs; and welcomed more than a hundred thousand visitors in-person and many more online. We have collaborated with organizations ranging from municipal departments to international scientific research consortia to local community justice organizations. Our work has been supported by major arts and educational funders and favorably featured in peer-reviewed museum publications and respected mainstream media outlets. What we do has helped to spark a global move toward cultural work on the climate crisis.
Building on our record of success, we have now launched an initiative to scale the Climate Museum up to year-round space to make our pathbreaking work more accessible to more people. This vision is being implemented through a series of transit-accessible exhibitions and pop-ups.
As the climate crisis intensifies, so does the need for communal spaces where we can all gain understanding and resolve. The Climate Museum makes inclusive dialogue and immersive cultural programming on climate accessible to a broad public. Join us.
