The Frankie G. Weems Gallery is pleased to present Jenny Blazing and Carin Walsh: Turning Point, a compelling art exhibit calling for action to quell the climate crisis. On view September 2 – October 1, the exhibit features the innovative work, WALSH/BLAZING, Changing Worlds Now. This collaborative multimedia and video/sound installation weaves a powerful personal story, urging viewers and their families to reflect on their own relationships with the climate crisis. In addition to Changing Worlds Now, the gallery exhibition presents a variety of works by Durham based artists Jenny Blazing and Carin Walsh, including mixed media paintings, found object sculptures, audio video collage, and participatory assemblage, all curated to speak to the urgent need for climate action.

Over the past decade, humanity has witnessed a proliferation of climate-related disasters across the world. Storms have become stronger, wildfires more intense. Sea ice is melting at a higher rate as the earth grows hotter. Scientists often describe our position as nearing a “tipping point” at which we teeter at the precipice of an irreversible cascade of ecosystem collapse. Turning Point presents a different view of our role in this crisis. It presents the inescapable truth of where we stand, laying bare the symptoms exacerbated by the warming of our planet and the catastrophic consequences we face if we ignore them. However, it also offers an optimistic reminder that we are not passive observers of this disaster, but active agents with the ability to change course and build a safer and healthier future. Blazing and Walsh present a hopeful message that while the climate is approaching a tipping point, our society is at a turning point. At this unique moment, political, economic, technological and societal forces are converging in an encouraging direction. The objective of Turning Point is to convince viewers that we are all collectively responsible for building a better world and that each of us can play a role in driving humanity towards solutions to this crisis—solutions that center on the lives and wellbeing of people.

Jenny Blazing is a full-time working painter, installation artist, and found object sculpture artist living in Durham, North Carolina. Carin Walsh is a museum educator, exhibit organizer, and multidisciplinary visual artist whose painting, hand-drawn animations, and audio/video work have been exhibited throughout the Triangle, North Carolina. WALSH / BLAZING is their collaborative art practice that includes painting, video, installation, photography, commercial commissions, and large-scale projection. Carin Walsh and Jenny Blazing use visual art to reframe environmental issues and generate conversations about measures to reduce our climate impact, both as a society and as individuals.

Note: The gallery operates on normal hours (Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00pm; Saturday-Sunday 2:00-5:00pm). A mask must be worn at all times within the space, but pre-registration is not necessary to visit the gallery.