Debbie Clarke Moderow, an Alaskan adventurer, experienced a pivotal moment while competing in the Iditarod, the grueling 1,100-mile sled dog race across the state’s frozen wilderness.
Her hands raw, her feet numb, and her dogs exhausted, Moderow had dedicated herself to Alaska since 1979. What began as a mountaineering quest evolved into a life deeply intertwined with the state, including marriage, two children, and a pack of 20 huskies that lived for her command of ‘Ready, let’s go!’ By 2005, at 49, as she and her team finally crossed the Iditarod finish line in Nome after two previous attempts, she realized a new chapter was calling.
Reflecting on her journey, Moderow shared on a surprisingly warm August day in Fairbanks, ‘I always wanted to be a writer, but I had no clue how hard it would be.’ She describes her latest endeavor, the ‘Threshold 32°F’ project, as ‘a continuous narrative of change.’
Now, two decades after earning a master’s degree and publishing her memoir, Moderow has embarked on an even more challenging pursuit: addressing climate change through art and poetry. She is part of a collaborative traveling exhibit called ‘Threshold 32°F,’ working with an artist and an ecologist to convey this urgent message.
The exhibit, aptly named ‘Threshold 32°F’ after water’s freezing point, explores the intricate lives of northern flora and fauna throughout a complete season. It features ten interconnected oil paintings, each complemented by poignant poems and insightful scientific notes.
Currently hosted at the Museum of the North in Fairbanks until November 16, the exhibit, as Moderow elaborated during a tour, presents ‘a continuous narrative of change.’ It combines evocative images of ice and trees with compelling data on the complex roles of methane and bark beetles. This unique presentation, she emphasized, ‘tells a story and seeks to educate.’
This collaborative project features Moderow, Klara Maisch—a talented backcountry guide and painter—and Rebecca Hewitt, an assistant professor of environmental studies at Amherst College who conducts field work in Alaska. Following its Fairbanks run, ‘Threshold 32°F’ is scheduled to travel to the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts at Oregon State University from January 5 to February 7, and then to Michigan State University’s SCENE Metrospace from November 5 to December 13 in fall 2026.
Across the globe, art is increasingly playing a crucial role in confronting climate change. Examples range from works highlighting the devastation of wildfires in Los Angeles to the impactful iceberg installations by artist Olafur Eliasson, which offer a tangible, physical demonstration of global warming.
This Alaskan exhibit aims to contribute to this growing movement by vividly illustrating how the thawing of permafrost in the Arctic creates ripple effects that profoundly impact communities worldwide.
The exhibition transports visitors deep into Alaska’s boreal forest, a vast band of trees accounting for a third of the world’s total forest cover. Through a chronological journey starting in autumn, each painting, accompanied by a poem and detailed field notes, helps viewers visualize, comprehend, and connect with the profound effects of a warming climate.
The narrative opens on a warm September day, focusing on the white-backed bumble bee—a vital pollinator for blueberries and willows. These bees rely on freezing temperatures for hibernation. Without a proper freeze, not only do the bees perish, but so do the numerous plants and animals dependent on their pollination.
While the individual pieces explore themes of time, hidden subterranean ecosystems, and the life-giving (and taking) forces of sun, snow, and fire, the collaborators share a grander ambition: to enlighten audiences who may not grasp how Arctic changes directly influence weather patterns nationwide.
‘Call it what you will, it’s happening. And it’s happening to all of us,’ Moderow stated, referencing how Arctic climate shifts are contributing to once-in-a-century storms and devastating fires.
This impactful project is a creation of ‘In a Time of Change,’ an arts-humanities-science program that fosters collaborations around environmental shifts in Alaska, proudly supported by the National Science Foundation.
Maisch, 36, a dedicated artist who often hikes to glaciers to paint them—even working on unstable ice during winter—explained their artistic process: ‘With each painting, we assigned a feeling like hope, uncertainty, fear, or comfort. My goal is for people unfamiliar with the boreal forest to leave feeling a sense of curiosity.’
Moderow noted that while ‘most poetry requires a lot of effort on the part of the reader,’ this exhibit’s approach is ‘hopefully’ designed to be more immediately accessible and engaging.
Hewitt, 43, an expert in plant-microbe interactions, chimed in, ‘It’s also a new way to observe, both for us as creators and for our audience.’
The scientific reality is stark: as Arctic soil warms and permafrost thaws, vast quantities of carbon, locked away for millennia, are unleashed into the atmosphere. This accelerates temperature increases not only in Alaska but across the entire planet.
‘The forest is in transition,’ Moderow observed. ‘It’s profoundly different from when I first came up here in ’79.’
Evident changes include significantly reduced snowfall, forcing reroutes for events like the Iditarod, and less groundwater from melting ice. This scarcity makes trees more vulnerable to bark beetles, which hollow them out, turning them into highly flammable fuel for devastating wildfires.
Hewitt also posed a critical question: how will the ancient microbes, released from permafrost as it thaws, influence these already disrupted ecological cycles?
A particularly alarming concern is the accelerating feedback loop, where thawing permafrost releases methane—a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide—further intensifying global warming.
‘The hope,’ Moderow shared regarding the escalating crisis, ‘is that someone in the middle of the country will look at things differently.’
‘Threshold 32°F’ took root in late 2021 when Moderow and Maisch connected virtually through a program called ‘In a Time of Change,’ which brought together artists and researchers to narrate stories about the boreal forest.
Sharing a home in Alaska, they quickly forged a strong friendship. Their collaboration involved continuous phone and email brainstorms, with Moderow developing forest narratives and Maisch responding with initial sketches.
Their first in-person meeting was a memorable one: a serene March day spent skiing and tracking an ermine, an experience that deepened their connection to the landscape and their project.
To integrate a robust scientific dimension, they enlisted Hewitt, who, despite living in Massachusetts, conducts extensive field research in Alaska. Subsequently, they presented their innovative concept to Mary Beth Leigh, a unique individual with a background as a dancer who later became a microbiologist.
Leigh, who teaches environmental microbiology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, directs ‘In a Time of Change,’ a program she co-founded in 2007 specifically to champion and support such interdisciplinary exhibits.
However, government-supported climate initiatives face significant headwinds. Washington has rolled back over a hundred environmental regulations and policies. Federal agencies have been known to challenge and withdraw established scientific findings, and the National Science Foundation has cut $1.4 billion in grants. (Despite this, the foundation continues to support two ‘In a Time of Change’ programs with approximately $1.3 million.)
From her office, surrounded by papers and potted plants, Leigh—with her eclectic background in modern dance and cello performances, notably with the Flaming Lips—conceded the uncertainty of the future: ‘No one knows what’s next.’
With each artist receiving a modest $1,000 stipend, and the ‘Threshold’ project securing about $10,000 for exhibit creation and travel, this endeavor is clearly a profound labor of love.
Leigh hopes that by evoking an ’emotional response,’ the program will not only endure but also inspire individuals to take meaningful action against climate change.
Back at the museum, the team stands firm in their belief that this story—both of their project and of the changing climate—is far from over. ‘We’re trying to point toward resilience and hope, too,’ Moderow added, noting that many of their artistic depictions celebrate the triumph of various species.
‘It’s celebratory of the forest and the people who live here,’ Maisch chimed in, expressing her profound appreciation for being able to gaze upon birch trees and coexist with wildlife from her window. ‘The forest is our home, and I couldn’t picture myself living anywhere else. We love this place deeply.’