Green Over Grey: The Art of Adaptation reception

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Lucy R.

A painting of a room filled with water.

"Water Takes All" by Lucy R., part of the "Green Over Grey: The Art of Adaptation" exhibition.

media release: The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) is excited to present Green Over Grey: The Art of Adaptation on view from February 14–April 6 with an Opening Celebration on Sunday, February 16 from 1–2:30 PM. Under the guidance of MMoCA’s Education department, the students of the Teen Forum worked together to conceive, plan, and install this exhibition and its related programming.

Gen Z has been living under the threat of a global climate crisis for their entire lives. As the threat increasingly becomes a reality, they are forced to reconcile how to adapt, overcome, and thrive. Green Over Grey: The Art of Adaptation challenges us to hope in the face of dangers.

The exhibition features sixteen artworks created by high school students from across Dane County that explore these themes through frank depictions of eco-anxiety, fantastical elements, and science-fiction embellishments.

“The students worked collaboratively with all departments at MMoCA,” says Bob Sylvester, MMoCA’s Director of Education. He added, “They excelled at synthesizing what they learned from museum professionals and took the lead in applying them in their exhibition.”

mmoca.org/events/green-over-grey

A call for art submissions was sent out in November 2024, asking for teen artists to submit images of artwork exploring how nature adapts to the human environment. From those submissions, the ten members of the Teen Forum selected sixteen artworks in mediums such as ceramic sculpture, painting, drawing, and recycled cardboard sculpture.

Sylvester continues, “The students leave the program with a firm understanding of the possibilities available in museums and are able to take the skills developed in the program with them as they head to college and determine their future studies.”

The 2025 MMoCA Teen Forum is made possible through an estate gift from Shirley A. Kubly, with additional support from Nancy Mohs, Nimick Forbesway Foundation, US Bank Foundation, and The Cap Times Kids Fund.

The Teen Forum program offers Madison area high school students a chance to explore museum careers hands-on. Participants receive a modest stipend to work with MMoCA staff in creating an exhibition and related educational programming. The 2024–2025 Teen Forum consists of Carmela R., Electra C., Eli H., Luci P., Madeleine B., Natalie V., Quinn F., Shay R.L., Hugh S., and Tyler S.

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is always admission-free. Its vision is to be an organization that fosters the exchange of ideas and creates experiences that will inspire a wide audience; be a nexus for the work of emerging and established regional, national, and international artists; serve as a catalyst for the continued development of a vigorous community of artists; and provide a forum that will encourage people to be challenged by, reflect on, and make connections between art and the world around them.

Current hours: Noon-6 pm Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; noon-9 pm Thursday; and 10 am-6 pm Saturday.