The term “ark” invariably conjures images of the monumental boat onto which pairs of animals were stewarded prior to a cataclysmic, biblical flood. It’s a reference that feels apt amid the climate crisis and our planet’s rising sea levels, although in this case, the melting ice caps and creeping tides are down to us.

Deborah Butterfield. Installation view of ‘The Ark’ at Powerhouse Arts, Summer 2026
Photography by Xavier Petromelis.
Jeffrey Gibson. Installation view of ‘The Ark’ at Powerhouse Arts, Summer 2026
Photography by Xavier Petromelis.
Kate MccGwire. Installation view of ‘The Ark’ at Powerhouse Arts, Summer 2026
Photography by Xavier Petromelis.
Kiki Smith, "Sentry" (2020), bronze, 8 1/2 x 29 x 17 inches. Courtesy of the Forman Family Collection
Photography by Richard Gary. Image courtesy of Pace Gallery.
William Kent, “Bittem and Beetle” (1968), black Italian slate, 10 5/8 x 17 1/2 x 1/4 inches
Photography by Cloe Poisson.
John O’Reilly, “Intertwined” (2012), white: resin graphite; black: resin porcelain and bone powder, 24 x 21 1/2 x 31 1/2 inches (white dog), 5 x 21 1/4 x 16 1/4 inches (bl
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, “Urban Trickster” (2021), cast bronze, 28 x 20 1/2 x 24 inches
Nichola Theakston, “Sacred Cow” (2025), bronze, edition of 12, 16.5 x 26 x 8 inches. Courtesy of the artist
Anthony Theakston, “Spirit Owl” (2025), bronze, 16 1/2 x 10 x 2 1/2 inches. Courtesy of the artist