The Sun Gallery proudly presents its 12th Annual Exhibit on Climate Change and the Environment: “Our Shared Humanity; Love Thy Neighbor.” The show opens on Friday, Aug. 29, and will run through Friday, Oct. 17.
Curator Dorsi Diaz notes that the word “contrast” is an accurate descriptor when viewing the show. Not only are there deep and thoughtful pieces, but in the same space are equally as many irreverent and fun pieces that bring on the glee!
Lobsters, scorpions and sea turtle sculptures appear together in a creative trio, designed with recycled and upcycled materials in a strong, organic, classical twist by artist Jon Kerpel. Emerging artist MacArthur Nelson combines witty snark with fun, colorful designs, daring the viewer to enter into a world where just the right statements matter.
Drawing on the theme’s seriousness, though, Diaz says, “What a lot of people don’t realize is that there are already millions of climate change refugees worldwide. People are losing their homes and their way of life all over the world. Those who understand this are frustrated by the amount of delays and frivolous arguments in the political arena, distractions which only make it that much harder to work on the task at hand.”
What’s on Diaz’s mind is the immediate necessity to come up with a game plan among nations: How can we plan together to respond to these refugees? Are we going to toss them aside because they have lost everything? Or are we going to do what real leaders do and come up with a visionary plan on how we can “Love Thy Neighbor”?
She says, “Hopefully, in this exhibit, people can be touched by the serious nature of what we face, and most importantly, we all need to remember that we are a global village of neighbors. We all share the same home.”
An important addition to this year’s show is a performance art installation by climate researcher Haylee Steele Hardin, titled “Apples of Discord,” which has landed at the Sun Gallery after a global tour. Since 2019, Steele has led research teams at UC Davis in explorations of leading climate data sets and models. Due to federal “DOGE cuts,” Steele’s team is under a tough deadline to raise the funds for their current project on correcting myths around overpopulation.
An artist’s reception will be held on Saturday, Aug. 30, from 12 to 3pm. The public is invited and admission is free. Light snacks and beverages will be served, and Pharaoh’s Dream, a local dance group, will perform during the reception in the courtyard.
After this first show, the exhibit will travel to the John O’Lague Galleria for an encore exhibit in Hayward City Hall from Nov. 3, 2025 through Jan. 7, 2026.
‘Our Shared Humanity; Love Thy Neighbor’
Friday, Aug. 29 – Friday, Oct. 17
Sun Gallery
1015 E. St., Hayward
