Who We Are

Three artist-educators came together in a room on the University of Rochester campus and asked one simple question: How do the arts inspire climate action? The ADK Climate Project grew out of our attempt to find an answer to that question and our shared passion for community-engaged art, sustainability, and creative placemaking. Our close proximity and mutual love for The Adirondack Park made it the perfect setting to investigate how individuals within the park were experiencing climate change. We knew what we had to do next: reach out to one of the Adirondack Park's super advocates, the Adirondack Council.

Over bagels (this is New York, after all) on a quiet porch overlooking an Adirondack pond, the project sprang to life. As is the case with community-engaged work, we let our community partners lead the way. After many meetings and more bagels, it became clear that collecting stories about climate change was a priority for the Adirondack Council.

Since that first meeting in the fall of 2022, Rose and Stephanie have continued to work with our community partners to grow our network of Adirondack climate advocates and to seize the ever-changing opportunities this project has presented. We are thankful for their continued support and embrace the opportunity to make more connections through the art-making process.

Meet the Team

Stephanie Ashenfelder

Founder and Director, Stephanie Ashenfelder’s digital and artistic scholarship takes form in socially conscious and interdisciplinary projects. Working collaboratively and with community partners, her artistic practice seeks to find ways to amplify the voices of others to raise awareness, promote understanding and encourage education. Stephanie teaches project-based courses in design and innovation at the University of Rochester where she is currently a passionate teacher and student advocate, the Director of Digital Media Studies and the Academic Director for Studio Art. stephanieashenfelder.com

Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp

Founder and Director, Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp is a dancer, educator, and activist. Her artistic research centers on interdisciplinary collaboration, somatics, social justice, dance as change agent and the embodiment of activism. She has taught at universities for the past 16 years and is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Rochester. Her choreographic work has been featured internationally for the past 16 years. She has been selected for residencies and projects, including the NYS Dance Force Western NY Choreographers’ Initiative. Rose co-founded Artists Coalition for Change Together (ACCT), an organization active from 2016-2020, as a way to engage dancer-citizens in Rochester.

Jackie Bowen

Project Consultant Jackie Bowen is Director of Conservation at the Adirondack Council. Jackie joined the Council in 2017 as the Grant Conservation Fellow and is now the Director of Conservation. Jackie leads the Council’s engagement on climate change policies and issues for the Adirondacks, monitors regional land use and natural resource policies and projects, coordinates research efforts, and manages the Clarence Petty Internship program. She holds a Master’s of Environmental Law and Policy from Vermont Law School.

Odessa Amaryllis

Exhibition Coordinator, Odessa Amaryllis is a graduate of the University of Rochester, where she earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a minor in Sustainability. Currently, Odessa is an intern with the Bureau of Land Management in Susanville, California, where she works on issues related to natural resources and public land management. She first joined the Adirondack Climate Project as a student collaborator and artist in 2023, where she developed an interest in using art as a tool for climate change action.

Current Student Collaborators

Lucas Qiu

Web Developer