On Thin Ice: An Exhibition of Alaska’s Warming Wilderness

Immersive Exhibition Showcases the Beauty and Fragility of Alaska’s Warming Wilderness

‘On Thin Ice’ explores the impact of climate change on Alaska’s ecosystem

On Thin Ice

GREENWICH, Conn. — The Bruce Museum transports visitors to the Arctic and confronts the startling impacts of climate change in “On Thin Ice: Alaska’s Warming Wilderness,” on view through Oct. 19, 2025. The installation highlights both subtle and dramatic shifts occurring across the Alaskan landscape. Remarkable animals from the Bruce’s natural history collections are paired with scale landscape models to showcase Alaska’s diverse ecosystem and bring attention to the impact of rising temperatures.

“Alaska is warming more rapidly than any other state, with cascading consequences for its wildlife and ecosystems,” said Daniel Ksepka, Ph.D., the Bruce Museum’s curator of science. “At the surface, unspoiled ecosystems seem to extend to the horizon in all directions. Yet, in reality, the landscape is shifting right before our eyes. ‘On Thin Ice’ presents these changes in a novel way. Models show intact and altered landscapes that reveal the profound impact of climate change. Alongside, the exhibition presents the remarkable animals that rely on these environments.”

Scale models, created by Bruce exhibition artist Sean Murtha, bring to life the dramatic environmental changes across the Arctic landscape. Scientists have recorded shifts as enormous as a glacier retreating for a mile over a few decades and as rapid as an entire lake draining in a single day. For each environment, a pair of detailed models demonstrates the before and after states of landscapes, showcasing phenomena like “drunken forests” — trees leaning at random angles due to thawing permafrost — and the formation of geometric depressions as ice wedging cracks permafrost into hexagonal segments.

Exceptionally life-like mammal taxidermy from the Bruce Museum’s collection and on loan from the Fairbanks Museum captivate visitors of all ages. One star attraction is “Charlie,” the Bruce Museum’s new half-ton polar bear. Alaska’s polar bears face great threats as the sea ice they heavily rely on for travel, hunting and resting diminishes. Melting ice means more time on land, putting both polar bears and humans at risk.

Another species featured in the exhibition is the muskox. This iconic Arctic creature resembles the Banta of Star Wars fame. Muskoxen show amazing adaptations including a special underlayer of wool known as qiviut that helps them to survive sub-freezing temperatures.

Despite their hardiness, these fascinating beasts are threatened by climate change. When warmer conditions cause rain to fall on snow and freeze, the grasses, sedges and mosses that these herbivores rely on can become trapped beneath a sheet of ice. Visitors will also encounter tundra wolves; caribou; Arctic foxes; and Alaska’s state bird, the willow ptarmigan.

This family-friendly exhibition also invites visitors to interact and reflect. Young guests enjoy touching natural history objects like caribou fur, matching footprints to the animals that made them and guessing who’s calling in an audio interactive that plays calls of Alaskan animals.

Visitors inspired by the exhibition can learn more about how their own actions can make a difference. A special touch screen interactive in the exhibition highlights steps we can take in our daily lives to reduce our own carbon footprints and invites users to pledge an action.

“This exhibition illustrates the urgent need for action to address climate change and to protect the delicate ecosystems of Alaska and beyond,” says Ksepka. “What happens in Alaska will affect us all.”

Support for “On Thin Ice: Alaska’s Warming Wilderness” is generously provided by Cambridge Trust, a division of Eastern Bank. Additional support is provided by The Giving Bee Foundation, The Blaufox Family in Memory of Paulette Blaufox, CT Department of Economic and Community Development, CT Humanities and the Charles M. and Deborah G. Royce Exhibition Fund.

About the Bruce Museum

Located in Bruce Park and overlooking Greenwich Harbor, the Bruce Museum is a world-class institution that offers a changing array of exceptional exhibitions and educational programs that cultivate discovery and wonder through the power of art and science. Ahead of its time for taking this multidisciplinary approach over a century ago, the Bruce Museum is at the heart of contemporary efforts to bring together art, science and education to spark conversation, connection and creativity. The Museum welcomes over 100,000 visitors annually, playing an integral role in the area’s cultural life.

The first exhibition at the Bruce Museum took place in 1912 and featured works by the Greenwich Society of Artists, several of whom were members of the Cos Cob art colony. Their works formed the nucleus of the Museum’s holdings of American Impressionism and continue to be a strength of the collection, along with Native American art and American photography. The focus of the Museum’s collection has since expanded to include modern and contemporary art from the 1870s to the present day, with a special focus on the art of the Americas.

The natural science collections include extensive holdings of regional vertebrates and insects, one of the most comprehensive collections of Connecticut Valley fossils from the Triassic and Jurassic Periods, and an exceptional collection of minerals from around the globe. In all, the community, through its generosity, has built the Museum’s varied collections of art and natural science to over 30,000 objects. 

The Museum, which is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, opened a new building in 2023 that doubled the size of the museum and tripled the exhibition spaces. The new Bruce features state-of-the-art exhibition, education and community spaces, including: a changing gallery for art and five new permanent galleries in the William L. Richter Art Wing; a changing gallery for science; a permanent science exhibition, “Natural Cycles Shape Our Land;” three classrooms in the Cohen Education Wing; and a café, auditorium and grand hall. When the outdoor spaces are completed the Bruce campus will feature a landscaped sculpture meadow and inviting spaces for relaxation and contemplation—natural enhancements to Bruce Park and an anchoring connection to Greenwich Avenue.

For more information, visit brucemuseum.org.

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