Threshold 32°F is a traveling Alaska-based exhibition of paintings and poems by Debbie Clarke Moderow, Klara Maisch and Rebecca Hewitt that tracks seasonal changes in northern species and highlights the risks of thawing permafrost. Permafrost—ground frozen for two or more years—stores nearly half of the world’s soil organic carbon; when it thaws it releases carbon dioxide and methane (about 25× more potent than CO2 over 100 years), which accelerate warming. The exhibit seeks to make these scientific stakes visible and inspire public engagement and policy action.
Threshold 32°F: An Art and Science Exhibit Reveals the Permafrost Crisis
Threshold 32°F is a traveling Alaska-based exhibition of paintings and poems by Debbie Clarke Moderow, Klara Maisch and Rebecca Hewitt that tracks seasonal changes in northern species and highlights the risks of thawing permafrost. Permafrost—ground frozen for two or more years—stores nearly half of the world’s soil organic carbon; when it thaws it releases carbon dioxide and methane (about 25× more potent than CO2 over 100 years), which accelerate warming. The exhibit seeks to make these scientific stakes visible and inspire public engagement and policy action.
08:54 AM, 11/18/2025Environment
Threshold 32°F: Art, Poetry and Science Meet to Explain a Looming Climate Risk
Threshold 32°F is a traveling exhibition that pairs paintings and poems to document how a single season of warming reshapes northern plants and animals in Alaska. Created by poet Debbie Clarke Moderow, painter Klara Maisch and environmental scholar Rebecca Hewitt, the project aims to make the complex science of thawing permafrost tangible and immediate for audiences beyond the Arctic. The show, based in Alaska, is scheduled to travel to venues in Oregon and Michigan in 2026.
"Call it what you will — it's happening. And it's happening to all of us." — Debbie Clarke Moderow, on thawing permafrost
What is permafrost? Permafrost is soil or rock that remains at or below freezing (0°C / 32°F) for two or more years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. When this frozen ground thaws, the effects are both local and global: it can damage roads, buildings and other infrastructure in Arctic communities and release large amounts of stored greenhouse gases.
Why it matters: Research organizations estimate that permafrost soils contain nearly half of the world’s soil organic carbon. As those soils warm and previously frozen plant material decomposes, they emit carbon dioxide and methane—the latter roughly 25 times more potent than CO2 at trapping heat over a 100-year timeframe—adding to global warming and accelerating climate change.
Scientists at NASA and other research institutions are studying thaw dynamics and community impacts, while policy groups such as The Arctic Institute urge that carbon released from permafrost be included in national and international climate planning, calling its current omission a serious oversight.
How the exhibit helps: By combining visual art and poetry with scientific context, Threshold 32°F translates abstract data into human-scale stories—of species, landscapes and people affected by a warming Arctic. The exhibit invites viewers to consider both the local realities in Alaska and the global consequences of thawing ground.
What you can do
Individuals and communities can help limit further warming by supporting clean energy, reducing fossil fuel use, and backing policies that account for all greenhouse gas sources—including permafrost emissions. Art and storytelling like this exhibit can deepen understanding and motivate collective action.