Grace College is pleased to display the art exhibition of Leslie Sobel, an environmental artist from Ann Arbor, Michigan. The display, entitled “Cartography of Loss,” is a selection from her mixed media series about the human impact on the environment, focusing on the effects of climate change on the Mississippi and the high latitudes. The free exhibit is open to the public and runs through Dec. 9, at the Art Gallery of Mount Memorial Hall, 1 Lancer Way, Winona Lake. The public is also welcome to attend Sobel’s artist talk on Thursday, Nov. 17th at 7 p.m.
“Having Leslie on campus will be a great opportunity for our students pursuing the eco-art program at Grace,” said Kim M. Reiff, chair of the Department of Visual, Performing and Media Arts at Grace. “The daughter of two scientists, Leslie’s work is a masterful display of the intersection of art and science. She demonstrates how art can be leveraged to communicate environmental issues in our world that can resonate with each of us.”
Sobel’s work focuses on climate change and mankind’s disconnect from the natural world. In order to capture this, she frequently travels to remote places to conduct wilderness fieldwork with scientists.
Currently, Sobel is on board the Tall Ship Antigua, participating in a climate-focused residency. She is sailing the Svalbard Archipelago in the high arctic with a group of artists and climate researchers. In 2017, she camped on an ice field in the Yukon Territory with a group of glaciologists in order to display the effects of climate change on the high latitudes.
Sobel holds a BFA from the University of Michigan and an MFA from the University of Hartford. She works in mixed media frequently incorporating photography, scientific data and more traditional materials.
