Art Show, “Climate Co-lab: Art as Inquiry”
Artists for Climate Awareness will be hosting a show of climate art in the Arts Alliance Center in Bloomington, Indiana and online. The exhibition, named “Climate Co-lab: Art as Inquiry”, is displaying 2-D and 3-D artwork in a gallery exhibition during the month of April 2026 at the Pillar Arts Alliance Center in the College Mall, Bloomington, IN. This juried exhibition, a featured part of our Earth Month celebrations, is intended to raise awareness about urgent climate and environmental issues through artistic expression and community engagement. The show represents Artists for Climate Awareness members in several states.
All artists are invited to be on display at ACA’s annual Earth Month exhibition. The theme is intended to make climate-related research more accessible through the experience of art. Accepted entries from the general public will be displayed alongside works based on a separate ACA artist-scientist project called a hackathon, after a similar process in software development.
Our hackathon event involves collaboration of artists and Indiana University scientists in March of 2026. During the first phase, artists will shadow scientists as they collect data for their research. Subsequently, the artist and the scientist will co-create art (performance included) to represent the scientific endeavor or finding.
You do not need to participate in the hackathon. All climate and environmentally-themed art is welcome.
Interested in becoming a co-lab artist? Please click here.
Art, especially, can turn scientific knowledge into experiences that resonate emotionally—offering insights that facts and figures alone can’t always reach. When these perspectives come together, they open up fresh ways of seeing and help people connect more deeply with complex ideas. Through this collaboration, we transform scientific research into accessible, emotional, and community-rooted narratives. The hackathon is organized by Lily Shan of Brushes for a Better Planet, and is sponsored by Artists for Climate Awareness.
The month-long event will host additional climate awareness events, including:
- “Nature Walk,” a musical and narrative presentation at the Arts Alliance Center; music led by IU School of Music student Thejas Mirle and four composers; narrative provided by Distinguished IU Biology Professor Roger Hangarter
- Public Art Sand Art Mural in Switchyard Park: Working with the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability and a local girl scout troop, we’ll have interactive art for the public to engage with climate change in the form of a temporary sand art mural at the Switchyard Park Earth Day Event 2026
- MDWST Fable will create an eco-health public installation in Pillar Arts Alliance Center to allow the public to co-create and participate in healing art and climate awareness
- In partnership with the IU Ostrom Workshop and the IU Environment, Society, and Sustainability Institute at Indiana University, we will host a series of sessions to facilitate collaboration between scientists and artists
- Working in partnership with local Bloomington Schools and organizations, we aim to use art as a tool to talk and learn about climate change
- Public workshops with other Environmental Orgs (TBA)
Purpose of the Show
Offering a Collective Voice: We believe that climate change is a multifaceted issue, and the more perspectives we showcase, the richer the conversation becomes. We honor all participating artists with their compelling range of ideas, skillsets, and mediums.
Honoring Excellence: While the exhibition focuses on the inclusivity of voices, we also want to celebrate outstanding contributions. Our panel of professional judges has selected works reflecting exceptional artistry and impact. These will be spotlighted within the gallery and awarded during the opening event.
Including Everyone’s Role in the Story: Each piece in the exhibition contributes to the overarching story we are telling about the urgent need to address climate change. These artistic visions play a crucial role in inspiring conversation and action.
Confirmed Partners
Prizes, Awards and Award Categories:
- $500 Best of Show
- $300 First Place
- $100 Second Place
- Honorable Mention gift certificates
See the Prospectus for Artists
Contact for Questions or Concerns:
Carol Rhodes, at art4climate@carolrhodes.net
