A new exhibit, opening June 25 at the Bell Museum of Natural History, presents images and information of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
“Arctic Sanctuary: Our Collective Refuge” explores a vast and remote land that remains both free and wild, untamed by technology and undisturbed by human development. The exhibit offers a window into a world that is ecologically intact, where we may observe and learn from nature’s complex and wonderful patterns.
The exhibit features large format photographs along with text from the 2010 book, Arctic Sanctuary: Images of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by wilderness landscape photographer Jeff Jones and writer Laurie Hoyle. The book commemorates the 50th anniversary of the creation of the ANWR.
“This show combines Jeff Jones’ spectacular panoramic photographs of America’s wildest lands with poetry, interpretive text, maps and information about the refuge,” says exhibit coordinator Gordon Murdock. “Whether your interest is wilderness, the arctic, conservation or spectacularly beautiful images this show will speak to you.”
Jones’ keen understanding of the natural world, coupled with decades of experience in remote backcountry and wilderness areas, forms the foundation for his exceptional landscape photography. His goal is to ask viewers to examine their own ideas of wilderness in the modern world while returning to the intangible values of spirit and place that one can experience in ANWR’s mountains, river valleys, forests and coastal plain.
The exhibit opens June 25 in the Bell Museum’s Jaques Gallery and will continue through Sept. 4. A celebratory event for the exhibit is scheduled for Thursday, July 14. The exhibit is cosponsored by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Bell Museum of Natural History is Minnesota’s official natural history museum where more than four million specimens support ongoing research and teaching at the University of Minnesota. The museum strives to discover, document and understand nature and promote informed stewardship of our world. It is part of the university’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and welcomes nearly 85,000 visitors a year. Visit www.bellmuseum.org for hours, admission and location information.