The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World

Over 40 images of polar bears bring to life the devastating urgency of global warming’s impact on the Arctic as documented by wildlife photographer Steven Kazlowski.

Opening Sat., June 28, the Burke Museum will launch the national premiere of an environmental photography exhibit, The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World. Over 40 images of polar bears bring to life the devastating urgency of global warming’s impact on the Arctic as documented by wildlife photographer Steven Kazlowski.

Kazlowski has dedicated the past eight years to tracking and photographing polar bears in the Alaskan Arctic ― a harsh terrain that is rarely visited and seldom photographed ― documenting changes in the animals’ habitat and behavior. In The Last Polar Bear, large-format color photographs reveal the plight of the polar bear as it faces rapid change in its Arctic coastal habitat from Canada’s Hershel Island to Point Hope, Alaska.

“The exhibit illustrates how changes brought about through global warming are affecting polar bears, walruses, seals and other species (including humans) that share this challenging Arctic environment,” says Erin Younger, Burke Museum associate director. “Steven’s compelling photographs bring to life these rugged seascapes and the magnificent creatures that live there.”