Now and When is an exhibition by Australian National University School of Art students who started their pieces by studying a scientific report titled South East Coastal Adaptation (SECA): Coastal urban climate futures in SE Australia from Wollongong to Lakes Entrance.

They then traveled to Eden on several occasions to undergo fieldwork and community consultation.

The result? Pieces that cover a range of mediums from painting and photography to sculpture and printmaking.

The exhibition is so large it is being held at two sites, the Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre and the pop up gallery at the former Retravision site in Imlay Street (you won't miss the signage opposite Eden Public School).

Convener John Reid said the artists looked at the coastal landscape with a scientific eye.

"We have grappled with a really big issue, and that's climate change, and we need to keep making that contribution to the community through visual arts."

University of Canberra Urban and regional planning guru Professor Barbara Norman headed up a collaboration between the University of Wollongong, the Australian National University and the University of Canberra on the field study project officially opened the exhibition on Friday night.

"I am very inspired by these paintings, I'm not really an artists myself," she said.

"One of the big issues with climate change is that we haven't been very successful with the communication side," she said.

"This sort of work I hope is the beginning of starting to look at more innovative ways of communicating this really significant challenge."

"We need to work together to share our knowledge and communications."

Using social media at this weekend's festival? Tag it with #EdenWhaleFest2013

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