by This April, the Bell Museum in St. Paul officially started its Year of Earth, an entire year dedicated to raising awareness of climate change.
To kick off the year, they celebrated the opening of the redesigned gallery “Imagine the Future.”
The gallery’s main exhibits are the multiple panels showcasing the stories of community members committed to fighting climate change.
Melody Arteaga is one of the featured stories in the exhibit. She worked with COPAL, Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action, to advocate for BIPOC voices regarding climate change.
“Part of the work I have done is how do we make sure that people that are impacted by climate change are included in these conversations, how do we make sure it’s not only scientists and experts that are giving their opinions but also community members,” she said.
The gallery contains many interactive elements, like the round table designed as Earth, where people can spin the wheel to match their current feelings about climate change. Sliders along some of the main panels create different graphics, and a digital poll was designed for attendees to address their thoughts.
Then, on the way out, gallerygoers are met with a colorful wall of different climate actions they can take, provided by the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership.
“We like to think about the climate action footprint, instead of your carbon footprint, because action is like a journey, we can’t, like, click off all of the things on the list and then be done, we’re doing this for like ever,” Christy Marsden, a representative of the partnership, said.
“On this wall are a bunch of different things that you can take that do have a beneficial effect on climate,” she explained.
Jenny Stampe led the development of the redesigned gallery. She hopes the gallery helps people see the Bell Museum as a hub for engagement around climate change.
“So we’re hoping to bring people into this space to talk to one another, to talk to us, and to think about how they can make a difference,” she said.
The gallery will encourage everyone to come together and imagine their futures.
