Envision Resilience: Designs for Living in a Changing Climate
A Multi-Month Exhibition of Adaptive Proposals for Portland and South Portland—Opens at the Portland Public Library with a Feb. 7 Opening Reception
A design by Charlotte Devine of the University of Virginia, depicting Portland, Maine in a hypothetical future projection.
CONTACT:
Claire McElwain
cmcelwain@remain.org
(317) 989-8140
PORTLAND, Maine — The Envision Resilience: Designs for Living in a Changing Climate exhibition is open now at the Portland Public Library's Community Gallery through March 15. A free community open house will celebrate the exhibition on Friday, Feb. 7, in conjunction with Creative Portland’s First Friday Art Walk.
Curated by local artist Brian Smith, the exhibition features innovative architectural and landscape designs by student teams in the Envision Resilience Challenge—now in its fourth year—that emphasize nature-based solutions to sea level rise like living shorelines and green stormwater infrastructure, address challenges like housing through materiality and circular economies and reimagine infrastructure and transportation systems in a low-carbon future.
The Envision Resilience Challenge is a multi-university design studio and community engagement initiative developed by Remain, connecting interdisciplinary student teams with coastal communities to envision creative pathways forward in the face of climate change. Remain is part of the philanthropic organizations and initiatives created and funded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to work toward a healthy, resilient, secure world for all.
With eight participating universities, the Envision Resilience Portland and South Portland Challenge brought together graduate and undergraduate students in urban planning, architecture, environmental justice and landscape architecture to connect with community stakeholders for an iterative process of researching, developing and proposing adaptive solutions for vulnerable sites along the cities’ coastlines. Participating institutions were Cornell University, Harvard University, the University at Buffalo, the University of Maine at Augusta, the University of Michigan, the University of Virginia, Yale University and the program’s first international partner, the University of Toronto. Over five months, students immersed themselves in the culture, values and history of Portland, South Portland and the Casco Bay Island communities, developing innovative designs that addressed challenges such as affordable housing, sea level rise, transportation, urban heat, equity, local industry and ecology.
The exhibition serves to encourage the public to envision neighborhoods, working waterfronts, parks, housing, and infrastructure through a lens of hope and resilience. Punctuating the designs throughout the exhibition is a compelling collection of artwork by Lin Snow, whose work examines the natural world through a vivid chromatic lens.
“It’s been inspiring to see these multidisciplinary approaches come together to address the same critical question: ‘How can we adapt?’” said Smith, exhibition curator. “This optimism doesn’t dismiss the very real threats posed by climate change, but instead offers a blueprint for the value of collaboration and bold thinking as we move forward.”
Smith’s curation explores how art and design intersect to enhance conversations around climate resilience. A graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and the Maine College of Art & Design, Smith’s work has been exhibited widely across New England and internationally, with recent showings in Antwerp, Austin, Brooklyn and the Portland Museum of Art.
The Portland Public Library exhibition marks the first in a series of displays throughout Portland and South Portland that showcase the students’ design proposals from the fall 2024 semester.
“Portland Public Library is delighted to be hosting this exhibit, especially the opportunity to give our patrons a moment to further the cultural conversation about climate change and its effects on our local environment,” said Rachael Harkness, gallery and special programs coordinator of the Portland Public Library.
“The depth of research behind the student designs is a reflection of the local community leaders stewarding long-term planning efforts and the generosity of time given to our students by the Portland and South Portland communities,” said Cecil Barron Jensen, executive director of Remain. “It has been inspiring for the Envision Resilience student teams to work in Maine, where proactive efforts like the Maine Won’t Wait climate action plan demonstrate the vision and action needed to create a more resilient future.”
The featured artist, Snow is a freelance illustrator from Winthrop, Maine. A graduate of the Maine College of Art & Design, Snow incorporates naturalist elements into their work, aiming to teach and learn through artistic exploration. Their contributions to the exhibition offer a visual reflection on the delicate balance of ecosystems and the profound impacts of climate change.
Envision Resilience has, since its inception, engaged 30 student teams from 19 universities, involving 458 students and 86 community advisors across eight coastal communities, including Nantucket, MA (2021); Narragansett Bay, RI (2022); and New Bedford and Fairhaven, MA (2023).
The Envision Resilience: Designs for Living in a Changing Climate exhibition will run through March 15, 2025 at the Portland Public Library, located at 5 Monument Square, Portland. Admission is free and the exhibition is open during library hours.
Remain works to bring creative thinking to environmental and community challenges, elevate local industry and encourage innovation and resilience. Remain Nantucket engages in charitable work to support the evolution of a healthy year-round community across the island. Remain Ventures invests in buildings and mission-related businesses that strengthen Nantucket’s year-round economy and spark innovation that brings long-term value to the island’s residents. Both Remain Nantucket and Remain Ventures are funded by Wendy Schmidt and her husband Eric to support the local economy, community and environmental vitality of the island of Nantucket. Developed by Remain, the Envision Resilience Challenge is a multi-university design studio and community engagement initiative that connects interdisciplinary student teams with communities to envision adaptive and creative pathways forward in the face of climate change.
Portland Public Library serves as the civic and cultural center of their region in which generations of citizens are literate, informed and engaged. The Library provides trusted resources and accessible experiences that inspire imagination, curiosity, awareness, and learning. The Library embraces change and evolves to meet the needs of the community.
