Artist Jill Pelto gave a virtual presentation at the Ames Public Library on Tuesday as part of Iowa State’s 23rd annual First Amendment Days.

Pelto works full-time as a small business owner, where she studies climate change and illustrates her findings through artwork. She opened her presentation by discussing how using art to showcase environmental topics can evoke emotion in people.

“I think that art has something really different than what science has, and can have layers of emotion and connection to it,” Pelto said.

Pelto double majored in art and climate science at the University of Maine. Her unique skills and body of work led her to travel.

Pelto said she once worked as a scientist in Antarctica, where she studied how a single ice sheet changed over time and what it could tell climate scientists about the present and future.

Pelto co-leads the North Cascade Glacier Project with her father in all aspects of science and logistics. The organization studies how regional climate change has affected glaciers since 1984.

“I started getting to go and help with this research when I was 16,” Pelto said. “It was really hard and inspiring, and to have that kind of opportunity shaped my direction.”

Pelto presented a piece of art featured on the cover of the 2020 “Time” magazine issue, “One Last Chance: The Defining Year for the Planet.” The painting featured five multi-colored illustrations based on how global climate data showed how the planet had changed.

Pelto said the five layers of the painting reflected changes in ice sheets, glaciers, renewable energy use, temperature and sea levels.

“It’s a story of what’s happening to our world,” Pelto said.

Pelto displayed another painting based on two graphs. One graph illustrated how rising sea levels negatively impact coastal marshes, and another graph showed the number of Americans that support prominent climate action.

“I wanted to focus on how sea level rise affects coastal marshes, and I want to show people doing things to protect these landscapes, like taking action,” Pelto said. “These people are planting marsh grass in areas where it is kind of disturbing and going back and replanting it.”

Pelto also works with students in her spare time. She visits schools and teaches them about climate change data, giving students the opportunity to create artwork based on how they interpret the graphs.

“I am always inspired by what stories tell,” Pelto said. “It tells me that they really understand the data, and they can tell the story when they dive into it this way.”

Pelto has some of her artwork displayed at the Ames Public Library. The exhibit caught the attention of Sue Tuttle, inspiring her to attend Pelto’s presentation.

“There wasn’t a piece in this presentation that wasn’t interesting,” Tuttle said. “It’s fascinating to see how she takes the data and interconnects it with the art.”

Library employee Anessa Olson worked closely with the First Amendment Days committee to bring Pelto in for the presentation.

“When we settled on science communication for this year’s First Amendment Days theme, I started looking around for a compelling science communicator who would bring something interesting to the table,” Olson said. “I took a look at Jill’s website, and I reached out to her, and that’s how we got her to be here.”

Olson also moderated the presentation with Pelto and credited the lecture for being compelling.

“I’m always particularly fascinated in an artist’s process because I am not a visual thinker,” Olson said. “It’s always fascinating to me to see an expert show how they work and how they become an expert.”

Pelto’s art will remain on display at the Ames Public Library until the end of April.