Director of NASA GISS to join artists for opening of "Biophilia: In Excelsis"

The Institute of Sacred Music will host an opening reception on March 27 at 5 p.m. for Biophilia: In Excelsis, a new exhibit that focuses on the theme of sacred ecosystems and their imminent transformation due to increased global warming.

Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy some refreshments, browse the exhibit, and to hear Dr. Gavin Schmidt, the director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies—an organization that predicts atmospheric and climate changes in the 21st century—engage in a panel discussion with curator, M.Annenberg, and artists Susan Hoffman Fishman, Eleanor Goldstein, and Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky.

Curated by M. Annenberg, the exhibit brings together twenty-two artists (listed below) who represent different cultural backgrounds, generations, and geographic locations, and who explore the concept of Biophilia, the love of life. New York based art writer, cultural critic, and curator, Eleanor Heartney, writes:

“Some journey to remote areas to investigate the impact of climate change on sensitive ecosystems. In the service of her dazzling paintings, Danielle Eubank has sailed every ocean on the planet. Eleanor Goldstein bears witness to the shrinking of the arctic glaciers. D J Spooky delves into the environmental politics of Antarctica. Diane Burko reflects on the climate science surrounding glaciers and the Amazon Rain forest.” Read Eleanor’s full review of the exhibit here.

The exhibit will be on view at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music’s Miller Hall at 406 Prospect Street, New Haven from March 27-May 3 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 12-4 p.m. It is sponsored by the ISM’s Religion, Ecology, and Expressive Culture Initiative. The discussion panel will also be livestreamed at this link.