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Art Opening: 'When There Were No Maps and No Borders' opens Feb. 18

Eastern art exhibition explores nature's resilience

Willimantic, CT (02/11/2025) — The Art Gallery at Eastern Connecticut State University will hold a reception for its current exhibition, "When There Were No Maps and No Borders: The Grandeur of Nature," on Feb. 18 at 5 p.m. The exhibition will be on display until March 13; admission is free and open to the public.

The exhibition features 14 artists exploring the planet's uncertain future. Their works examine climate change, pandemics, involuntary migration, racial discrimination, conflicts, and wars.

"They warn us of the dramatic escalation of these events, suggesting that these so-called natural disasters may be the planet's form of revenge," said Julia Wintner, director of Eastern's Art Gallery.

Ten Connecticut-based artists and four international artists from countries including India and Germany have contributed paintings, installations, photographs and videos documenting the global deterioration of natural resources.

"They chronicle 'what if' scenarios that highlight the urgency of the task before us," Wintner said. "At the same time, they evoke the timeless supremacy of nature, which will endure long after the climate and resources necessary to sustain human life have vanished."

"When There Were No Maps and No Borders" is connected to Eastern's ongoing Big Read program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, which centers on Andrew Krivak's 2019 novel "The Bear." The title of the exhibition comes from another Krivak novel, "The Sojourn," which describes a land "of no maps or borders, no rifles or artillery, no men or wars to claim possession of land, and snow and rock alone parried in a match of millennial slowness..."

Wintner noted that Krivak's writing reflects "the land in its ancient grandeur before human greed descended upon it," a theme echoed by the artists. Their work highlights both the beauty and fragility of Earth and humanity's responsibility to preserve it.

"When There Were No Maps and No Borders" invites visitors to experience nature's magnificence and recognize the importance of protecting it. "All of the artists in this exhibition suggest that, although humans have harmed the land, Mother Nature is compassionate," Wintner said. "We need only ask for forgiveness."

Gallery hours:

  • Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Noon - 4 p.m.
  • Tuesday & Thursday: Noon - 7 p.m.
  • Saturday: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

More information:

  • Julia Wintner, gallery director: wintnerj@easternct.edu
  • 860-465-4625
  • www.easternct.edu/artgallery

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 25 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2024-25 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 15 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

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