Meg O’Hara is an artist and environmentalist whose work focuses on ocean conservation in the polar regions. Based in British Columbia, Canada, she has been involved in numerous prestigious projects, including being an Artist-in-Residence on the Polar Prince icebreaker ship during an Ocean Conservation Expedition with the Students on Ice Foundation in 2022. Later that year, she was selected for a delegation to Antarctica to examine the impact of climate change. In 2023, O’Hara was the inaugural Artist-in-Residence at the Canadian Ice Core Lab with glaciologist and National Geographic Explorer Dr. Alison Criscitiello.

O’Hara’s art has gained significant recognition, being featured in the James Cameron "Pressure and Ocean Conservation Exhibit" at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society in Ottawa and as a Featured Artist for Ocean Week 2023. Arctic Focus caught up with O’Hara to discuss how storytelling can unlock science education and her experiences on these impactful expeditions.

Grace: Hi Meg! It is so nice to see you again and thank you for taking the time to chat today. I’d love to dive right into our discussion, but first, can you tell me about your work?

Meg: Thanks for having me, Grace! Sure, I am an artist and environmentalist. My work is based on ocean conservation in the Polar regions. I join research vessels that go to the Arctic and the Antarctic and support the scientists in field studies and science communications. Once I return from these expeditions, I come home to my studio and I create a series inspired by the expedition. So in short, my work goes from expedition to exhibition.

Grace: Great line. How did you start down this path and get into the line of work that you do today?

Meg: I actually started out by working with the ski industry. I did commissions for ski resorts, heli-lodges, and private ski chalets. While working in this niche of skiing, I kept seeing all of the glaciers I was near to receding. Not only was the sport that I loved being impacted, but also the natural environment. I got involved with the organization Protect Our Winters and things really started happening from there. That’s the background - but not sure that is what people want to hear?

Grace: No, no! That’s exactly what people want to know. It always amazes me to learn how people come to the Polar regions, or how the Polar regions find them. I’m sure those reading this will want to know about those first steps towards what you do now.

Meg: Ok great! So from my volunteer work with Protect Our Winters (POW) I started meeting scientists and working with them on their communications and outreach. And then through a random introduction in my network, I was introduced to Geoff Green from the Students on Ice Foundation (SOI) - it is really he who changed the direction of my career. He brought me on an icebreaker ship called the Polar Prince as an Artist-in-Residence on an ocean conservation expedition and that’s where I changed my attention from high alpine to the ocean. He was also the first one who took me to Antarctica and has been giving me a lot of advice on my upcoming trip to the Arctic. So it has been a natural and gradual growth within my work in the Polar religions over time, with many thanks to Geoff.

Grace: Thank you for that background. So knowing where you came from, can you tell me a bit about the inspiration behind your work as you have moved towards the ocean and how that compares to your high alpine work?

Meg: One idea that resonates with me a lot is that planet Earth is a misnomer and it should be called planet Ocean. I think because we are land animals we don't have the same appreciation for the ocean that we should, I have this love for the ocean and everything it gives me and my planet. Also with ocean conservation in the polar regions specifically, these regions are disproportionately affected by climate change so 2-3x more than the rest of the world. So I am inspired by science, but from a visual perspective, I am inspired by the beauty and the vastness.

Grace: Could you describe a project or piece that you feel particularly embodies your commitment to ocean conservation?

Meg: My favorite piece that I feel particularly embodies my commitment to ocean conservation would be a painting that I made based on my delegation to Antarctica. It was called Polar Serenity, and it was included in the James Cameron exhibit during Ocean Week at the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Being able to go to the opening of the exhibit and meet James Cameron, and to meet with the Canadian Prime Minister and tell him about my work and the importance of the polar regions was a highlight of my career so far.

Grace: What challenges have you faced in translating your passion for ocean conservation into visual art?

Meg: I would say that the main challenges I have faced in translating my passion for ocean conservation into visual arts is working with the scientists and capturing the immense scale and complexity of their research into the confines of the canvas. The research in the oceans and the fieldwork that I support are constantly evolving and changing, and the biggest issue is the storytelling and getting people invested in the research and understanding the Polar regions, when so few people have had the opportunity to go there. Luckily the problem is also the solution that people are very drawn to stories of the polar regions because they seem so otherworldly. Another big trouble is conveying the urgency for ocean conservation while also showing the beauty of these delicate areas.

What I mean by that is that instead of showing the destruction of climate change, I choose to show the beauty of the natural world to make people want to protect it, but that juxtaposition of beauty and decay, and power and fertility is a difficult intersection to play around with. It is hard to find the right balance of beauty in my artwork.

Grace: In what ways do you integrate scientific research or findings into your artistic process?

Meg: When I am out in the field I am supporting the scientific research and fieldwork of the scientists. Whether this is through their lab or through fieldwork. When I come home and then create work around it it’s impossible to separate the two because my experience in the Arctic or Antarctic was shaped by the scientists I was there with them. So science is what all of my art is based on so it is impossible to separate the two in my work.

Grace: What future projects or collaborations are you excited about in the realm of ocean conservation and art?

Meg: Oh, I recently got back from an expedition to Iceland. Although I was in the subpolar region, I wasn't technically in the Arctic. I’m working on a series based on that expedition right now, which is something I’m really enjoying at the moment. Then next up I can’t say all the details, but I’ll be heading to the Arctic again this summer. I am so excited about what's coming as it, without a doubt, will be my biggest project and collaboration yet. It will be really focused on ocean conservation and art. I cannot wait and I wish I could say more, but I am very excited to head to the Arctic... greatest place on earth!