January 8-April 23, 2026

Receptions: January 17, 5:30-7pm

ZERO CELSIUS takes place January- April at Mad Arts and at Sugarbush Resort. Both sites will present art on winter, cold, climate change, impact of human and environmental relationships, winter sports etc.

This is a call to artists who explore nature, climate and environmental issues in their creative practice. Approximately half the globe experiences a winter season, which has this side of humanity either hunkering into our domestic interiors for ‘play’ or exploring all kinds of sport for recreation in the outdoors. In the history of art, winter scenes have been recorded as early as the15th Century giving insight into how humans have interacted with and perceived winter across different cultures and time periods since.

The call is after work that shares about the experience of winter, a symbol of purity, wonder, silence, and survival. Yet in our warming world, winter itself is becoming unstable. It will bring together artists working across sculpture, installation, sound, photography, and digital media to explore snow’s fragility in the face of climate change.

This exhibition examines snow/winter as both material, concept and metaphor: fleeting, crystalline, silent, yet deeply tied to global systems of water, ecology, and human life. We hope to raise awareness of the fragility of winter landscapes, to spark emotional connection through sensory experience, and to inspire dialogue between art, science, and community. We also hope to empower visitors to share their memories, stories and conversations around the significance of the winter season in our lives.