If you knew a major storm or fire was heading toward your home, what would you save? Maybe your pet? A box of letters? The blanket that your grandma knitted for you as a baby?
A pop-up exhibit led by the Climate Action Campaign and curated by Sam Hartman, an artist and survivor of Hurricane Helene, asks that question of visitors. Built in a shipping container-sized space, the exhibit at Constitution Gardens on the National Mall brings together artifacts and stories from survivors of extreme weather events across the country to the political heart of the country.
“You can look at anyone’s face and you’ll never know what storm they have weathered, but you can look at an artifact from their house and you’ll immediately see what happened to it,” Hartman said in a video promoting the event.
Called the “Museum of Unnatural Disasters,” the exhibit featured roundtable discussions with climate experts, members of Congress and disaster survivors to talk about the economic pain of extreme weather and what could be done to protect people moving forward.
Kimberly Wills, director of strategic partnerships for the Climate Action Campaign, said the group hopes sharing these experiences can motivate people to demand action from their leaders, as they become more aware of the impacts of extreme weather on their lives.
