Pause to see and ponder “A Pause” …specifically the collaborative art show “A Pause in Flow: Reconsidering the Columbia River.” The project combines the work of Kalamazoo College alumnus Nick Conbere ’94 and John Holmgren and is on display in the Light Fine Arts Gallery through October 9. A public presentation by the artists will occur on Thursday, October 8, at 4 p.m.

“Using art as a visual and narrative critical tool, our project investigates the presence and impact of hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River,” write the artists. The dams have been celebrated for their massive energy production and economic benefits, and they have also incurred environmental and related social costs as they reshape aspects of the river basin. “A Pause in Flow” explores ideas of environment, industry, time, and memory. “We ask how aesthetic relationship can offer compelling ways to consider human constructions that alter natural forces.”

The concerns are topical and consequential in the Pacific Northwest area of North America, as dam policies on the Columbia River are currently being negotiated in Canada and the United States and considerations of new dams are being discussed. “Central to our project is that the works be exhibited in locations along the Columbia River as well as in Pacific Northwest cities dependent on hydro-power,” the artists add. “Through our collaborative documentation and interpretation, we will aim to explore parallels among various places and histories along the river, suggest patterns and relationships, and facilitate documentary, metaphor, and allegory in considering the presence of the dams.”