PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Fine Arts Center will host “Terminus: A Glacier Memorial Project,” which presents art about the effects of climate change, beginning Friday.
The opening reception of the exhibit — created in partnership with Olympic National Park, Washington’s National Park Fund and Discover Your Northwest and the arts center — will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the center at 1203 E. Lauridsen Blvd., Port Angeles.
“The glaciers of the Olympic Mountains are vanishing due to climate change,” park personnel said in a press release.
The Terminus project began in 2022 with Olympic National Park’s Artist-In-Parks program. Forty-three volunteer artists have created poems, paintings, quilts, animations, music, dance and other works to memorialize the 40 major or named glaciers in the park.
“We may only save these glaciers in the form of a song or painting,” said Eliza Goode, Artist-In-Residence Program manager, “but we can still work together to care for the world and save what we have left.”
While the art is housed virtually on the park’s website, www.nps.gov/olym/terminus.htm, most of it also will be exhibited at the fine arts center through Sept. 3. The center is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.
“The exhibition serves as a tribute to the vanishing glaciers while igniting important conversations about climate change and its profound impact on our planet,” said Rachel Storck, community engagement director for the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center.
“The range of talent that has come in from across the country for this exhibit is impressive,” she said.
Park personnel said the project “is a shared space where we can mourn and honor what we are losing to climate change and provides an opportunity to transcend ‘apocalypse fatigue’ through art.”
Other events connected to the Terminus Project are:
• Artist-In-Residence programs, Aug. 21-25: Thirteen of the artists will provide public programs throughout the park to discuss the impact of climate change, the concept of parks as places of inspiration and their art process.
• The exhibit’s closing reception will be Aug. 25 at the Port Angeles campus of Peninsula College, 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
Terminus artist Kristin McArdle will provide a dance in honor of the Elwha Snowfinger. Award-winning poet and writer Rena Priest, an enrolled member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation, and former Washington state poet laureate, will provide keynote remarks.
The time and exact location of the reception is to be announced at a later date.
At Friday’s reception, light snacks will be available from Buena Luz Bakery, and Pacific Panty will have drinks available for purchase.
“Terminus is the type of show that brings an artistic community together in a way that allows each artist to shine individually while still working as a collaborative group to bring to light important issues that have an impact for all of us,” said Lindsey Shepherd, interim gallery and programs director at the fine arts center.
Other exhibit information can be found at https://pafac.org/gallery-exhibits/terminus.
