EXHIBITION PREVIEW In January 1977, Western New York experienced a devastating blizzard; more than 30 inches of snow brought life to a standstill, buried cars, and reached the roofs of homes. While the event felt like an adventure for my 15-year-old self and the neighbor kids, many people lost their lives, and President Jimmy Carter declared a federal disaster in the region, the first for a snowstorm in the U.S. This experience of severe weather catalyzed in me a deep appreciation for the unpredictable forces of nature, and for the vulnerability of all living things. More recently, in December 2022, the interconnected challenges relating to climate, infrastructure, and communications tragically impacted Buffalo during an even more severe blizzard, when 31 people lost their lives.
Over the past few decades, indigenous…
