Climate Museum facts for kids
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| Established | July 2015 |
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| Location | New York City (not yet constructed) |
The Climate Museum is a special nonprofit organization in New York City. It's the first museum in the United States completely focused on climate change and finding solutions for it. Its main goal is to get people excited about taking action on the climate crisis. It does this by offering cool programs that mix art and science. These programs help people understand climate change better, connect with others, and work towards fair solutions. The museum offers free exhibitions, art shows, programs for young people, and other public events. These often happen in different places around New York City, like pop-up spots and public parks. They also have a seasonal exhibition on Governors Island and online events.
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How the Museum Started
The idea for The Climate Museum came about after a very strong storm called Superstorm Sandy. This storm hit New York City hard. The museum's founder, Miranda Massie, used to work in law and civil rights. This background helped her see climate change as a problem that needs social action and fairness.
In March 2014, the Climate Museum Project officially began. Then, in July 2015, the State of New York gave the museum a special five-year charter. This meant it was officially recognized. The next year, in February, the museum became a 501(c)3 nonprofit. This status means it's a charity and can receive donations.
The Climate Museum is also part of a group called the Museums and Climate Change Working Group. This is a team of museums from all over the world. They work together to include climate change topics in their exhibits and programs.
Cool Exhibitions and Art
The Climate Museum creates many interesting exhibitions and art projects. These projects help people learn about climate change in creative ways.
Early Exhibitions
The museum's very first exhibition was called In Human Time. It was shown from December 2017 to February 2018. This exhibit looked at how polar ice, people, and time are connected. It featured art by Zaria Forman and Peggy Weil.
In September 2018, the museum worked with New York City to put up an outdoor art display. It was called Climate Signals and was created by Justin Brice Guariglia. Ten solar-powered highway signs were placed in city parks. They flashed messages about climate change in five different languages. Special events were also held with community groups.
In Fall 2018, the museum opened its first temporary space on Governors Island. This space hosted an exhibition called Climate Changers of New York. It showed portraits by David Noles. There was also a digital activity where visitors could Create Your Own Climate Signal.
Taking Action for the Planet
In 2019, an exhibition called Taking Action was held on Governors Island. This show talked about clean energy and other ways to reduce climate change. It also discussed what stops us from moving to a carbon-free world. The exhibit gave visitors ideas on how they could work together to help solve climate problems.
In Fall 2021, a unique art piece called Low Relief for High Water was shown at Washington Square Park. It was a sculpture and a performance by artist Gabriela Salazar. A film was also made about this project.
Also in Fall 2021, the museum launched a poster campaign called Beyond Lies. These posters were designed by Mona Chalabi. They talked about the fossil fuel industry. Each poster had a QR code that showed steps for people to contact their Congressional representatives. This campaign ran until March 2022.
Recent Pop-Up Shows
In October 2022, the museum opened its first pop-up space in Soho, Manhattan. It stayed open until March 2023. This exhibition included a new climate art piece called Someday, all this by David Opdyke. It also shared research about society and gave visitors chances to take action on climate change.
In October 2023, another pop-up exhibition opened in SoHo, called The End of Fossil Fuel. This show focused on climate justice and the fossil fuel industry. It featured a mural by R. Gregory Christie. One important topic explored was "sacrifice zones". These are places, often with many people of color, that are unfairly affected by pollution and climate change. The exhibit showed how this is a problem of fairness and history.
Programs for Young People
The Climate Museum has special programs just for kids and teens.
Climate Speaks
From March to June 2019, the museum partnered with the New York City Department of Education. They created a citywide spoken word program called Climate Speaks for high school students. The program ended with a big performance at the famous Apollo Theater.
Climate Art for Congress
In April 2020, the Climate Art for Congress project began. This program involved art, writing, and civics for students from kindergarten to 12th grade across the United States. Students created illustrated notes about their climate worries. Then, they sent these notes to their representatives in Congress.
Climate Action Leadership Program
In the summer of 2021, the Climate Action Leadership Program started. In this program, students, mostly from the New York area, took part in workshops. They also had internships and volunteer chances at the museum and with other partner groups.
See also
- Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, a museum about climate change located in Hong Kong.
