Poetry & Polar Science 

  “Observation and imagination, the microscope and the metaphor, the sense of amazement—you need all of them to take the measure of a moment, of a life.”       — Jane Hirshfield, poet and Co-Founder of Poets for Science 

Scientists working in the Arctic and Antarctic are documenting some of the most rapid environmental changes on Earth. Through ice cores, ocean measurements, satellite imagery and ecological observation, they help us understand how polar regions are changing and why those changes matter.   Poets work differently.   

Through image, rhythm, metaphor, story, and attention, poetry offers another way of engaging with a changing world. Poetry can linger with uncertainty, wonder, grief, beauty, contradiction, and imagination. It can ask questions that data alone cannot answer.   

PRAx, Spring Creek Project and Terrain.org invite poets to create original poems in response to a selection of polar science papers from Oregon State University researchers. Participants are encouraged to read one or more of the featured papers and allow the research to spark creative inquiry.    

What We Are Looking For   

We welcome work that is curious, imaginative, surprising and attentive. Poems may engage with the science directly or indirectly. They may be personal, lyrical, narrative, experimental, contemplative, or playful.    We are not seeking poems that explain science or summarize findings. Rather, we are interested in the conversations that emerge when scientific inquiry and poetic practice meet. You do not need to understand every detail of a paper to participate. A single image, question, observation, graph, or idea may be enough to inspire a poem. We encourage you to follow what captures your imagination. 

Poems must be in conversation with one or more of the featured scientific papers listed below.  

What We Offer 

• Selected poems will be published in a series in Terrain.org and poets will receive $100 from Spring Creek Project for each selected piece.  
• Selected poets may also be invited to participate in a public reading at PRAx on October 29, 2026. The event will feature readings and conversation between poets and researchers. PRAx will provide lodging on the night of the event, a travel stipend of up to $1,000, and dinner with polar researchers following the event. Participation in the event is optional and not required for eligibility.   

Important Dates 

• June 15, 2026: Submission window opens  
• August 26, 2026: Submissions due  
• September 15, 2026: Decisions announced  
• October 29, 2026: Selected poems will be featured in a public reading at PRAx, with select poets invited to read with scientists. Poets do not need to be available on this date to be eligible. 

 Submission Requirements 

• Submit 1-3 original poems in response to the papers listed above.  
• No AI-generated or edited work will be accepted. 
• Combine all poems into a single document that contains only the poem title(s), poem(s) and scientific paper(s) that inspired the poem(s). Do not include the author name or contact information in the document, including in the header/footer. 
• Simultaneous submissions are welcome, but previously published material in any format, including blogs or social media, will not be considered.  
• Submissions can be withdrawn through the submission system. Individual components of submissions (i.e., a single poem in a poem set) may be withdrawn by sending a message through Submittable. 

How to Submit Poems 

In addition to contact information, applicants will be asked to provide: 

• A brief bio. 
• Up to three poems in a single document. The document should include only the poem title(s), poem(s), and the scientific paper(s) that inspired them. Do not include your name or contact information anywhere in the document, including in headers or footers. 
• The title(s) of the scientific paper(s) from the list above that inspired your poem(s). 
• A short statement (250 words or fewer) describing what draws you to polar environments and what inspired your response to the paper(s) you selected. 

 Review & Selection 

A review committee will select awardees. 

Featured Scientific Papers    

The following papers explore ancient atmospheres preserved in ice, glaciers that crack and sing, microscopic algae living beneath sea ice, seabirds crossing oceans, and whales navigating vast migratory routes. We invite you to spend time with one or more of these studies and allow the research to spark creative inquiry. 

Alongside each paper, we've suggested a few possible entry points. These are not prompts or requirements—simply invitations. You may find inspiration elsewhere in the paper: a graph, photograph, phrase, question, method, or idea that captures your imagination.      

Deep Time - Miocene and Pliocene Ice and Air from the Allan Hills Blue Ice Area, East Antarctica   

Deep beneath Antarctica’s surface, ice preserves tiny bubbles of ancient   atmosphere. This study examines ice and air dating back millions of years, offering  rare glimpses into climates that existed long before humans. The research invites  us to imagine what Earth’s atmosphere once held and what stories ancient ice can  tell.   

Possible Entry Points: deep time, memory, ancient air, archives, planetary history,  extinction, breath   

Read the paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences:    https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2502681122      

Lost Worlds - Antarctic Surface Temperature and Elevation During the Last Glacial Maximum   

How cold was Antarctica during the last ice age? Using evidence preserved in ice cores, scientists reconstructed the climate and landscape of Antarctica roughly 20,000 years ago. The study reveals a continent both familiar and profoundly different from the one we know today.   

Possible Entry Points: lost worlds, reconstruction, memory, ice ages, imagination, climate, change   

Read the paper in Science:   https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.abd2897      

Listening to Ice - Unusually Loud Ambient Noise in Tidewater Glacier Fjords: A Signal of Ice Melt   

Glacier fjords are surprisingly noisy places. This study discovered that melting glacier ice generates underwater sounds that can transform the acoustic landscape of a fjord. The research invites us to consider how environmental change can be heard as well as seen.   

Possible Entry Points: sound and silence, listening, melting, hidden processes, transformation   

Read the paper in Geophysical Research Letters:   https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2014GL062950      

Fracture - Rapid Fragmentation of Thwaites Eastern Ice Shelf   

The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is undergoing rapid change. This study documents the formation and growth of fractures across the glacier’s eastern ice shelf, revealing a landscape that is breaking apart and reshaping itself in real time.   

Possible Entry Points: fracture, thresholds, instability, resilience, transformation, collapse   

Read the paper in The Cryosphere:   https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/16/2545/2022/tc-16-2545-2022.html 

Life Beneath Ice - The Contribution of Ice Algae to the Winter Energy Budget of Juvenile Antarctic Krill in Years With Contrasting Sea Ice Conditions   

Beneath Antarctic sea ice, microscopic algae form an important source of food for young krill during the dark winter months. This study explores the hidden connections between ice, algae, and one of the species that helps sustain the Southern Ocean ecosystem.   

Possible Entry Points: hidden worlds, nourishment, winter, dependence, survival, abundance   

Read the paper in ICES Journal of Marine Science:   https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/76/1/206/5138278      

Arctic Drift - Overview of the MOSAiC Expedition: Snow and Sea Ice   In 2019, scientists intentionally froze a research vessel into Arctic sea ice and drifted across the Arctic Ocean for an entire year. This paper describes one of the largest polar research expeditions ever undertaken and explores the changing nature of Arctic snow and sea ice.   

Possible Entry Points: drifting, observation, endurance, winter, exploration   

Read the paper in Elementa:   https://online.ucpress.edu/elementa/article/10/1/000046/119791      

Ocean Journeys - Breeding Thin-Billed Prions Use Marine Habitats Ranging from Inshore to Distant Antarctic Waters   Thin-billed prions travel remarkable distances across the Southern Ocean while raising their young. This study follows their movements from coastal waters to remote Antarctic habitats, revealing lives shaped by wind, weather, and ocean currents.   

Possible Entry Points: migration, distance, navigation, parenting, ocean journeys   

Read the paper in Animals:   https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/22/3131      

Invisible Travelers - Mercury Contamination and Potential Health Risks to Arctic Seabirds and Shorebirds   Mercury released by human activities can travel vast distances through the atmosphere before accumulating in Arctic ecosystems. This study examines contamination in seabirds and shorebirds, revealing how pollutants move through food webs and into some of the planet’s most remote places.   

Possible Entry Points: interconnection, contamination, migration, invisibility   

Read the paper in Science of the Total Environment:   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969722040414      

Long Migration - First Description of Migratory Behavior of Humpback Whales from an Antarctic Feeding Ground to a Tropical Calving Ground   Each year, humpback whales undertake extraordinary migrations between Antarctic feeding grounds and tropical breeding waters. This study follows that journey, revealing one of the longest migrations in the animal kingdom and highlighting the remarkable navigational abilities of these marine giants.   

Possible Entry Points: migration, homecoming, navigation, endurance, memory   

Read the paper in Marine Biology Research:   https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40317-021-00266-8        

The Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx) and the Division of Extension and Engagement at Oregon State University invite submissions for the PRAx Open, a juried art exhibition featuring work from across Oregon. The exhibition emphasizes work that speaks – in any number of conceivable ways – to the places where the contributing artists live.    

The exhibition will be installed primarily in the 3000-square-foot Kate and John Stirek Gallery at PRAx and is anticipated to feature the work of 25-40 artists. The goals of the exhibition are:  

• to feature artworks from across the state that engage with the physical landscapes, histories, cultures, economies, issues or other dimensions of the places – whether rural, urban, or suburban – where the contributing artists reside,  
• to present a body of artworks representing the breadth of the state and tribal nations in Oregon, and 
• to represent the energy and vitality of the Oregon arts economy by exhibiting works that are available for public purchase.  

Artists who are current Oregon residents may submit up to three completed works for consideration. Selected artists receive a fixed $300 stipend intended to cover the costs of shipping/transporting the works to/from PRAx. Professional gallery staff at PRAx will unpack, install, and repack the works. The majority of selected art will be in 2D or small 3D (self-supporting) mediums. Digital or time-based works may be submitted but must be formatted for a single screen with headphones.   

The deadline to apply is July 1, 2026. Contact Joy Jensen at joy.jensen@oregonstate.edu or Carly Solström at carly.solstrom@oregonstate.edu with technical application questions.

ELIGIBILITY

• Artists must be current, established Oregon residents and must reside in Oregon for more than half the year to submit work for consideration. For a collaborative work to be considered, both artists must currently reside in Oregon.   

SUBMISSISON REQUIREMENTS

• Artists currently residing in Oregon may submit up to 3 completed artworks. A collection/series of no more than 3 linked small-format works that will be considered a single work if that series can be installed in a space no larger than 3’ x 3’ (wall-hung works). Works in progress will not be considered.

• Submitted work must be original. Works may be in traditional, emerging, or new mediums. 

• PRAx supports the use of new technologies for artmaking purposes, but works that incorporate computational methods must be based on code/scripts written by the artist or commissioned by the artist for the specific purpose of that artwork. Artwork that is generated by publicly available AI tools is not accepted.

• Artists will submit a 2-3 sentence explanatory statement about each work. Statements should define the relationship of the work to the major goal of the exhibition: “to feature artworks from across the state that engage with the physical landscapes, histories, cultures, economies, issues or other dimensions of the places – whether rural, urban, or suburban – where the contributing artists reside.”  

• Artists will submit a short biographical statement, including their place of residence. Artists must be residents of Oregon. For collaborative works, biographical statements for each artist in the collaboration must be included and all artists in the collaboration must reside in Oregon. 

• The majority of selected works are anticipated to be in 2D wall-hung or 3D self-supporting mediums. Digital or time-based works may be considered but must be formatted for a single screen with headphones, and must play on a media player, USB drive, or similar technology provided by the artist. Works may not be networked or connected to remote servers. The number of works selected in digital or time-based mediums will be limited. PRAx recognizes that not all time-based works are linear or loop the same content, but the general intent is to include shorter works (<10 minutes) in such cases.

• Works may be of any scale, and PRAx does contain larger open wall space inside and outside the gallery. However, the number of large-format works will be limited by the total available space and the number of large-format submissions. Artists are responsible for shipping and delivery as described in the guidelines, and no extra support is provided for larger or heavier works. Installation feasibility is a criterion that will be considered within the selection process.

 SHIPPING, INSTALLATION, & PURCHASING

• Artists are responsible for shipping or transporting the works to PRAx by the deadline. Works not received by the deadline will not be included in the exhibition. Professional gallery staff at PRAx will unpack, photograph, install, and repack the works. PRAx will retain the shipping materials for the purpose of repacking in those materials.

• Shipping logistics and costs are the responsibility of the artist. All correspondence with the artists’ selected shipping method will be conducted by the artists, with pick-up of the works from PRAx being arranged during normal business hours. Artists may also self-transport the works to/from PRAx.

• Insurance on all works is the independent responsibility of the artist. In the application, artists may indicate if the work must be located in the gallery (locked during non-open hours) or if it may be located in a public space within PRAx. The exhibition will be curated to include some works that are not located in the gallery and flexibility of installation location is a criterion that will be considered within the selection process.

• All installation decisions – including location and method – will be made by staff in PRAx. Artist statements about each work may be edited for grammatical consistency across the entirety of the exhibition. 

• If works require support structures for display (e.g. cases, stands, or similar), the submission must indicate if the artist can provide such structures and must include a picture of the structure. PRAx has a limited ability to provide pedestals, plinths, casework, or similar items. If such structures are needed, artists will describe that need in the application.

• PRAx will make contact information for each artist available to the viewing public. Sale of work is conducted by the artists directly. If the work is to be shipped to a location other than the location whence it came, PRAx as well as the shipping company must be informed.

• While it is not a requirement that artworks are available for sale, the exhibition will be curated with the intent that a significant majority of the works may be purchased via direct correspondence with the artist. Artists are expected to include an asking price for each work on the application. PRAx will share that information with the viewing public, but artists and purchasers will arrive at the final price independently. All financial transactions occur directly between the artist and patron.

• Selected artists receive a $300 stipend to reimburse costs for packing, shipping, and/or transporting works to and from PRAx. 

PROGRAM & APPLICATION DATES 

• April 15, 2026: Submission window opens. 
• July 1, 2026: Electronic submissions due. 
• September 15, 2026: Decisions announced. 
• November 1, 2026: Deadline for works to arrive at PRAx. 
• November 30, 2026: Exhibition Opening and Reception. 
• January 25, 2027: Works shipped back to artists or to purchasers .  

HOW TO APPLY

Complete the short application form and upload files for up to 3 completed artworks. Works in progress will not be considered. In addition to basic personal information, applicants will provide the following: 

• A short biographical statement, including their place/region of residence in Oregon. For collaborative works, biographical statements for each artist in the collaboration must be included and all artists in the collaboration must reside in Oregon. Submitted statements may be used for interpretive material connected with the exhibition. 

• One file upload for each submission. Upload one image/media file or up to two images combined into a single file (e.g., two images in one pdf document). Note: Digital or time-based works may be uploaded for consideration but must be formatted for a single screen/headphones.

• The title, medium, and asking price of each submitted piece. 

• A 2–3 sentence explanatory statement for each submitted piece. Statements should define the relationship of the work to the major goal of the exhibition: “to feature artworks from across the state that engage with the physical landscapes, histories, cultures, economies, issues or other dimensions of the places – whether rural, urban, or suburban – where the contributing artists reside.” 

• If works require support structures for display (e.g. cases, stands, or similar), there is space in the form to indicate if the artist can supply such structures, and if a structure will be self-supplied, a photo of the structure must be uploaded in the space provided.

REVIEW & SELECTION:

PRAx and the Division of Extension and Engagement will curate the exhibition with an eye to achieving the goal of broadly representing the state and sovereign tribal nations in Oregon. Reviewers will also consider the following during evaluation: 

• The connection with the exhibition goal of showcasing work “engaged with pertinent places, themes, issues, concerns, cultures, landmarks, ecosystems, or other region-specific topics” across Oregon.  
• Artistic and thematic interest. 
• Logistical feasibility of display.  

Selected artists will be invited to the opening reception. 

What is Polar STEAM for Artists & Writers? 

Polar STEAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math, is not just a national program, but a journey for all of us to become closer to what is so physically distant, to understand the Polar regions and people, and to commit to share what we learn with the world so others, too, can let their curiosity thrive.  

The Antarctic Artists & Writers program facilitates deployments to the Antarctic for creative practitioners within the arts and humanities.  Collaborations between polar researchers and artists and writers help increase the public’s understanding of and appreciation for human and scientific endeavors in Antarctica through the resulting works. Polar STEAM welcomes applications from working artists, writers, and creative practitioners in a variety of genres, from traditional to experimental. You can view 2025–26 fellows as well as those from past years on the website.

This application is for four to ten weeks during the 2027–28 Antarctic summer season, typically October through February, with a possible option for early season (August through September). In the past two seasons, deployments have been 6-8 weeks in length.

Because the potential creative scope of projects will be determined in part by logistical considerations in the remote Antarctic environment, we strongly encourage applicants to attend the informational webinar on April 30, 2026 at 2:00PM PST or to view the recording that will be made available on the Polar STEAM YouTube channel in order to prepare the strongest possible application. Information about the webinar is posted on the "Apply Now" page of the Polar STEAM website.

Before applying, please read the FAQs on the Polar STEAM website. Note: Only individuals can apply, and only individuals will be awarded fellowships. Due to limited resources, we are only able to deploy individual artists or writers. Collaborative projects may begin or resume upon return from deployment, but teams cannot be involved during deployment or logistics planning. 

All applicants will be notified of status by early September, 2026.