The Center for Maine Contemporary Art welcomes Melt Down, a photographic exhibition highlighting the effects of climate change in the delicate environments of the Arctic and Antarctic. “Climate change is obviously not a ‘hoax’; the core questions we must all ask ourselves pertain to the extent to which we are actually culpable, as well as what we as a species can do about our contribution to it all. To do nothing is unconscionable,” says photographer Peter Ralston, whose work can be seen in the exhibition. The photographs in Melt Down give a wider audience a chance to experience the undeniable and discernable changes in parts of the world that are largely inaccessible.

All of the photographers in the exhibition are Maine based. John Eide created the photography program at the Maine College of Art and taught there from 1970 to 2008. Justin Levesque, whose work can also be seen at the Space Gallery, completed a residency as a fellow of the Arctic Circle in Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago just 10 degrees from the North Pole. The featured photographers’ collective experiences showcased in Melt Down open the door for important conversations about how nature is in an increasing state of distress. “With increasing frequency, Maine artists of all disciplines are traveling to the Arctic and Antarctic to study, observe, and record the effects of climate change. Melt Down includes stunning photographs and videos by ten distinguished Maine artists whose work calls attention to one of the major ecological issues of our time,” says exhibition curator Bruce Brown.

Melt Down will be on display at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockland from March 23 until June 9. General admission is $8, but members can visit for free. The Center for Maine Contemporary Art Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Maine Home+Design gives a preview of the exhibition on the following pages.