Duty to Warn: Facing Our Climate Future

Deadly heat waves, struggling forests, melting glaciers, stifling summer nights… the signs of climate change are already here. The carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases we add to the atmosphere are fueling weather-related disasters, and scientists warn of a future resembling 15 million years ago, when the Arctic was ice-free and trees grew in Antarctica. Given the danger, many scientists and artists feel compelled to address the climate crisis publicly. Hear from artist Erika Harrsch, whose work is featured in DRAW: Heat, and climate scientist Dr. Casey Ivanovich about how they communicate the myriad effects of climate change and encourage action in their own ways. Marc Taylor, Senior Manager of Planetarium and Science programs, will moderate a wide-ranging discussion of the crossover between their fields of interest and concern.

Dr. Catherine (Casey) Ivanovich is a climate scientist and NASA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Her research explores the drivers of climate extremes, with a focus on how land and surface moisture affect dry versus humid heat waves. She earned her PhD in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Columbia University in 2024, where she studied the health and socioeconomic impacts of extreme humid heat. A Princeton graduate, she has also worked with the Environmental Defense Fund, and is dedicated to making climate science accessible to the public.

Born in Mexico City and based in New York, Erika Harrsch is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans painting, photography, video, installation, and multimedia collaborations with composers such as Philip Glass and Maya Beiser. Her projects often draw on entomology, using butterflies as metaphors for migration, identity, and fragility. Harrsch’s work has been featured in major biennials, international residencies, and exhibitions worldwide, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, El Museo del Barrio, the Nevada Museum of Art, and the Göteborg Konstmuseum in Sweden. Her art addresses themes of identity, cultural belonging, and environmental change.

Support provided by Sarah Lawrence College and the Mellon Foundation.