Maria Coryell-Martin

Imaging the Arctic is an interdisciplinary project and exhibition that explores the ecology and culture of West Greenland through the work of University of Washington marine mammal biologist Kristin Laidre, expeditionary artist Maria Coryell-Martin,  Finnish photographer Tiina Itkonen, and graphic novelist Owen Curtsinger. The project is oriented around Laidre’s research on the impact of climate change in the Arctic, and sea ice loss on narwhals and polar bears. These iconic species of the Arctic are highly adapted to the extreme polar environment, and are also integral to Greenlandic culture as subsistence resources. In the spring of 2013, Coryell-Martin accompanied Laidre to West Greenland, where she created a collection of field art and stories about scientific research in the Arctic environment. Tiina Itkonen’s evocative photographs of the Greenland landscape and Inuit add an additional perspective on the rhythm of life in the Arctic. The exhibition will be held at the Nordic Heritage Museum from December 12, 2014-February 22, 2015.