The University of Toledo Department of Art will host a free public exhibition of photographs and installation works by guest artist Margaret LeJeune, opening August 25 at the Center for the Visual Arts. Titled "Drawn from Memory: Mapping Salt and Time," the exhibition examines ecological shifts in Dare County, North Carolina, including the transformation of coastal forests into ghost forests due to saltwater intrusion and rising sea levels, while also addressing histories of colonialism, enslaved Africans and their descendants, and Indigenous displacement. LeJeune will give an artist talk on September 24, and the show runs through October 10.
This exhibition matters because it highlights the intersection of art, science, and environmental studies, using visual practice to document and reflect on urgent ecological and social histories. LeJeune's recognition as the Royal Photographic Society's Woman Science Photographer of the Year in 2023 underscores the growing importance of art that engages with climate change and environmental justice. The free public programming makes these critical conversations accessible to the university community and the broader Toledo area.