Earth Day Virtual Exhibition

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Earth Day, Earth Day at 50: Lessons for a Sustainable Future, explores past and present environmental activism both nationally and locally, the reality of the current global climate crisis, and sustainable practices for a livable future.

Surrounding a grand Tree of Life crafted from reclaimed and reused materials, Earth Day at 50 features artifacts from the original Earth Day to the present, interactives for all ages, art installations, impressive dioramas, environmental protest banners from indigenous activists and WCU students, and an intriguing anti-Cabinet of Curiosities where visitors can glimpse products made from protected wildlife that have been confiscated by U.S. Customs. Exhibits touch on various aspects of environmentalism and sustainability, including environmental activism, biodiversity, plastics and waste, energy consumption and climate change, sustainable food systems, and WCU’s own initiatives in conservation and carbon reduction.

The exhibition demonstrates that the fiftieth anniversary of Earth day is an empowering reminder that positive actions in daily life can combat the ongoing environmental crisis that humans have created.

Earth Day at 50 has been designed by 15 undergraduate and graduate museum studies students under the direction of museum director Michael A. Di Giovine and designer Tom Haughey. The exhibition is funded by the College of the Sciences and Mathematics and the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, with intellectual contributions from faculty members of the Sustainability Advisory Council. We are grateful for the collaboration with noted Native American artist-activists Jaida Grey Eagle, Christi Belcourt, Isaac Murdoch and the Onaman Collective, whose artwork is also on display. The exhibition is also supported by West Chester University’s Office of Sustainability, the Ethnic Studies Institute at West Chester University, the Delaware Museum of Natural History, the West Chester Green Team/Sierra Club, Solare America, and many community members.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the exhibition opened on the 51^st anniversary of Earth Day, and features an interactive, virtual tour on this site.

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For a more in-depth look, take a virtual tour with our student co-curators!

Curator: Michael A. Di Giovine, Ph.D.

Exhibition Designer: Thomas Haughey, MFA

Student Designer: Anissa Kunchick

Student co-curators:
Kelli Billings, Michael Cassidy, Katherine Dowling, Natalie Fenner, Wendell Gaskins, Katelin Gladback, Meg Gunzelman, Tyler Haney, Reilly Johnson, Foster W. Krupp, Anissa Kunchick, Krista McCalla, Katie Mulligan, Benjamin Popp, Melina Schauerman

Carbon Footprint Calculator designers: Hannah Vannoy and Brandon Barker