Framing entanglement: Opening night of a photo exhibition exploring the connection between empathy and nature

Can we extend empathy beyond our immediate social groups to distant strangers, more-than-human beings like bears, swallows, and oak trees, and maybe even whole ecosystems? And what would happen if we did? We invite you to an exhibition which asks – and partially answers – those questions. Embedded in a research project on empathy and human-nature relationships, this exhibition shares the photographs and stories of 30 environmental stewards living and working in New Brunswick. We wanted to learn how empathy is understood, felt, and practiced by people who are committed to protecting and restoring NBs vibrant ecosystems and all the beings that live in them.

Please join us for the opening night of this exhibition, on Saturday, October 3 from 6pm to 8pm at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre. There will be a discussion with the researcher behind this project and a few of the stewards/ photographers/ storytellers, time and space for informal dialogue and questions, and of course snacks.

If you can’t make it to the opening even, the exhibition will be displayed from Oct. 5-16, so you can visit at a later date. If you want to contribute to the research project, we’d love to hear your thoughts (and feelings!) on empathy in more-than-human worlds. You can participate in a survey which helps us understand this phenomenon even better. We’re looking forward to seeing you there