To focus on ‘Well-being and Sustainable Art & Fashion’.
To focus on ‘Health and Sustainable Art & Fashion’
To focus on ‘DNA and Sustainable Art & Fashion’
Competition Schedule
Submission Deadline: May 31st, 2019 Announcement of the 1st Screening: June 3rd, 2019 Announcement of the 2nd Screening: June 10th, 2019 Announcement of the Final Screening: June 10th, 2019 Award Ceremony at Paris, France, July 28th, 2019
Areas
Painting & Sculpture Contemporary Media Art Fashion & DesignÂ
Award Benefits
The 1st screening (25 runners)
Included in the cyber gallery of the GAMMA homepage
Included in the introduction book by ACCESS which is an official cultural platform of Global Alliance of Marketing & Management Associations (http://www.accesscs2.org/).
Award certificate
The Final Screening (Final 5 runners)
One round trip ticket (economy class) and 3 nights’ stay in the conference hotel for ‘2019 Global Fashion Management Conference at Paris’ in Paris, France.
Included in the cyber gallery of the GAMMA homepage
Included in the Exhibition Book by ACCESS which is an official an official cultural platform of Global Alliance of Marketing & Management Associations (http://www.accesscs2.org/).
Invited to a fashion show at 2019 Global Fashion Management Conference at Paris
Award plaque
Submission Guidelines
Submission Deadline: May 31th, 2019
Submit to:
You can submit up to 3 works.
Original size of the work: The original size of the submitted works should be bigger than 300mm by 300mm.
Please download and complete ‘2019 GAMMA Young Artist Competition Application Form’ from ‘How to Apply’ in the 2019 GYAC homepage.
Images of Works
At maximum, 5 digital images per work should be included in your application form.
Each image should not exceed more than 3MB
Labeling your application
Working language: English only
Please include your name, country and area which you wish to apply in the name of your application file.S ubmitted items should not have been submitted to other competitions.
Featured imaged: Lake Verret, Louisiana. Photo by Virginia Hanusik.
Happy “almost spring†to those of you in the Northern hemisphere, and a happy “almost autumn†to those of you in the South.
Happy wishes aside, I’m sorry to report some sad news: This February we mourn the passing of the “godfather of climate science,â€Â Wallace Broecker, who helped popularize the term “global warming.â€Â According to the BBC, Broecker “spent a career that spanned nearly 67 years at Columbia University in New York.†The scientist published an important study in 1975 that helped usher in a new era of thinking about the effects of carbon dioxide on global temperatures. Professor Broecker died on February 18th at the age of 87.
His legacy is felt by scientists, activists, climate communicators, artists, and writers around the world, all of whom continue to produce exciting and vital work that speaks to the urgency of climate change.
This month I have for you a wonderful interview with one of those artists. Virginia Hamusik is a photographer and architecture researcher whose work explores the effects of climate change on various landscapes. You may have seen her photos in The Atlantic, Places Journal, The Times-Picayune, Oxford American, NPR, or Fast Company.
Your project, A Receding Coast, features photographs of “the architecture of climate change.†Please tell us what you mean by that phrase.
We are living in the Anthropocene, which is characterized by human intervention on the natural environment. Climate change is a byproduct of human intervention and is shaping how we build, and will only continue to shape that process more so.
Architecture symbolizes society’s values: it is a physical manifestation of what we consider important and how we live our lives. When I’m describing my work photographing “the architecture of climate change,†I’m referring to the structural response to environmental issues.
Capturing the architecture of this moment is important because we are consciously changing the way we build and live based on environmental conditions, for arguably the first time in American history. I studied architectural history in college, and I approach my photography work in a similar way; I’m thinking about the structural details that describe larger cultural values.
What have you learned about how the communities you photograph are preparing – or not – for future extreme weather events and sea-level rise?
I think it’s important to understand that there isn’t one universally understood solution to the problem. It’s more common to hear about disagreements on the causes of climate change – or if it’s even happening – but with my work, I’ve become much more aware of the various types of approaches municipalities, organizations, and individuals have developed to combat the effects.
There are hundreds of challenges. Some challenges are specific to a community’s geography, some are not. There’s no one-size-fits-all fix, and I think that’s something the resilience field is focusing on too much. Organizations have done an important job of creating shared knowledge among cities, but there’s no global, local, or even state standard to how various communities (coastal and inland) should be re-imagining planning processes. As a result, some communities will suffer more than others due to inaction or policy failures. I’ve been following the work of scholars like Jesse Keenan at Harvard who are researching the impact of “climate gentrification†in Miami. The economics of coastal climate adaptation are already working as they were designed to – benefiting those with more affluence and means to seek higher ground, and leaving poorer communities with few options but to be even more vulnerable to flooding.
In another project, Liminal Frontier, you explore the change in how people are thinking about coastal land. What has surprised you the most about what you’ve learned or witnessed?
Since this body of work is a lot larger in scale, I’ve spent a lot of time organizing and framing the project in parts. Most of the “chapters†are organized by geography (East, West, Gulf coasts), but there are also sub-categories such as recreation, transportation, and dwelling.
Through this process, it’s become so much more explicit to me that the history of landscape photography has been dominated by the male gaze. As a woman, I’m planning out my shoots based on time of day, whether I feel safer with a partner, and, if so, coordinating their schedules. There are a dozen other factors that I don’t think are the same for men. Some of my favorite projects about American land were all done by men (Ansel Adams, Joel Sternfeld, Walker Evans) who had the privilege to photograph in desolate landscapes alone.
That’s all to say that this project is really helping me think critically about the process and what it means to make a photograph about land as the climate is changing. I think it’s a critical time to not just think about how we live along the coast, but who is telling those stories and how American identity is captured.
Pierre Part, Louisiana. Photo by Virginia Hanusik.
As Susan Sontag writes, “The painter constructs, the photographer discloses.†What can photographs of architecture, land, and other objects affected by climate change “disclose†to us that perhaps other art forms (including the written word) can’t?
I love a good Susan Sontag quote. I think that the accessibility of photography is what drew me to it from the beginning and continues to do so. I was raised in a working-class family that was full of artists, but they never referred to themselves as such because of the elitist stigma. Art means different things to different classes. My dad is a sculptor and carpenter, but he never describes himself as one. It’s just what he does when he’s not working, nothing flashy.
I like to think that I make my images in the same way; I don’t manipulate or even edit them much. As a photographer, I control the light and the frame, but not much beyond that. In terms of subject matter, the architecture and landscapes that I photograph really speak for themselves. The evidence is there. It’s real life looking back at you.
As an observer, you are able to step back and take in the details within a frame that you may miss in the context of real life. I like to compare the “banal†landscapes that I capture to seeing photographs of yourself. You analyze pictures of yourself more than when you’re in front of a mirror because someone else’s gaze may have captured something you never noticed before.
Also, I’m really not interested in making work that exploits victims of environmental disaster, but can rather be used as an educational tool to help move the needle on environmental stewardship.
What has the response to your work been like? Have you experienced any push back?
Overall, the response has been encouraging. I’ve been really lucky to have my work published in a number of outlets that prioritize new voices in photography and architecture, and have been able to connect with so many thoughtful people changing their communities.
Most of the push back that I’ve received has come from individuals who don’t believe in climate change. Not a big surprise there, but this exists outside of the South!
Honestly, the most challenging conversations that I’ve had are with self-identified liberals and progressives whose prejudices of the South or rural communities come out with their comments. “How could people be so ignorant?†“Why don’t they leave?†“Why would you choose to live there?†These are all actual questions that I’ve heard posed in a serious way. It’s really disappointing to me, but just shows the work that still needs to be done.
What’s next for you?
I’m still disseminating A Receding Coast and connecting with leaders in the climate adaptation field on collaborations. Right now, I’m in the development phase of Liminal Frontier and am identifying funding to build out the project in phases. I’m hoping to spend time in the Chesapeake Bay this summer and photograph some sites that I’ve been trying to get to for a while. In addition to this project, I’m excited to be writing more and am working on a few pieces for the Louisiana-based store and publication, Defend New Orleans.
Read more about Virginia Hanusik and her work at her website.
This article is part of the Climate Art Interviews series. It was originally published in Amy Brady’s “Burning Worlds†newsletter. Subscribe to get Amy’s newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.
___________________________
Amy Brady is the Deputy Publisher of Guernica magazine and Senior Editor of the Chicago Review of Books. Her writing about art, culture, and climate has appeared in the Village Voice, the Los Angeles Times, Pacific Standard, the New Republic, and other places. She is also the editor of the monthly newsletter “Burning Worlds,†which explores how artists and writers are thinking about climate change. She holds a PHD in English and is the recipient of a CLIR/Mellon Library of Congress Fellowship. Read more of her work at AmyBradyWrites.com and follow her on Twitter at @ingredient_x.Â
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Artists and Climate Change is a blog that tracks artistic responses from all disciplines to the problem of climate change. It is both a study about what is being done, and a resource for anyone interested in the subject. Art has the power to reframe the conversation about our environmental crisis so it is inclusive, constructive, and conducive to action. Art can, and should, shape our values and behavior so we are better equipped to face the formidable challenge in front of us.
Artists are invited to apply for one of a number of paid commissions for this project, responding to the urban environment to devise mapped walks or cycles for the local community.
‘FOOTPRINT’ is a walking and cycling map + guide planned for East Edinburgh (Portobello, Leith) & Musselburgh  with artist-led routes that intersect the urban with nature through lesser used habitats, encouraging everyday physical activity as a way to improve well being.
We will be holding a number of public drop-in sessions at local markets and street locations during April-May from which a range of artist initiated walking & cycling routes will be based. A map + guide will be produced by December 2019 that presents around 6 routes for cycling and walking, and highlighting relevant sites that local communities have mapped within each of their neighbourhoods.
Two distinct opportunities are available for this project:
multiple commissions for devised and led walks and sessions with the local community
one commission for an artist to design and create the final map
ARTIST COMMISSIONS
The project will involve the developing of mapped routes working with local participants from each area alongside Art Walk Projects, leading a number of walks or cycles during June to October 2019. A finalised printed map will be produced by Dec 2019, in which each artist will be profiled alongside their mapped route.
Commission Details
We invite imaginative proposals that engage with local neighbourhoods, mark out the local, and intersect the three areas through lesser used habitats. Improving well being for participants is also an important element of this project, working to increase regular activity.
Each selected artist will be expected to:
Devise 1 route involving one or more of the areas – Leith, Portobello, Musselburgh;
Attend in the region of 2 public sessions meeting with participants;
Lead 2 walks or cycle journeys during the period June to Oct (including Art Walk Porty Festival 7-15 September).
Fee
In the region of 4 commissions are available – each receiving a bursary of £1000.
How to Apply
We are keen to hear from artists whose practice involves walking, mapping, journeying through lost urban landscape, or involving the study of the living urban environment. Ideally with a knowledge of one or more of the areas:Â Leith, Portobello, Musselburgh.
Please apply by emailing Rosy Naylor: rosy@artwalkporty.co.uk, with the following information (maximum 2 pages of A4):
Reasons for your interest in this project and how it relates to your current practice;
A description of the type of route or ideas you would be interested in exploring, including the area/s of most interest.
Please also include:
Your CV/artist statement
4 examples of your recent work
Website/online links to view your work
Deadline for applications 1st May 2019Â
ARTIST/ILLUSTRATOR
We also are seeking an illustrator to work with us to draw out the A2 folded map and provide graphics that are relevant to the project.
Fee
Fee in region of £1000.
How to Apply
Please apply by emailing Rosy Naylor: rosy@artwalkporty.co.uk, with the following information:
Details of what you believe you would bring to the project and your areas of interest/ or ideas you would seek to explore (maximum: 2 pages)
CV/artist statement
4 examples of your recent work
Website/online links to view your work
Deadline for applications 1st May 2019Â
Art Walk Projects are a member of our Green Arts Initiative: a networked community of practice for Scottish cultural organisations committed to reducing their environmental impact. It is free to become part of the community, and there are lots of resources and case studies (like this one!) to support #GreenArts organisations. Take a look at our Green Arts Initiative page for more information.
Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.
In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.
We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.
Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:
Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.
Can art save the bees? Sculptor Emily Puthoff is attempting to do just that through the Hudson Valley Bee Habitat. She, along with her fellow artists, are engaging their community in a large scale art project that builds bee habitats. Learn about this ambitious project and about the essential roles bees play in our everyday life.
Coming up next month, writer Elizabeth Rush and her book Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore.
As host of Citizens’ Climate Radio, Peterson Toscano regularly features artists who address climate change in their work. The Art House section of his program includes singer/songwriters, visual artists, comics, creative writers, and playwrights. Through a collaboration with Artists and Climate Change and Citizens’ Climate Education, each month Peterson reissues The Art House for this blog. If you have an idea for The Art House, contact Peterson: radio @ citizensclimatelobby.org
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Artists and Climate Change is a blog that tracks artistic responses from all disciplines to the problem of climate change. It is both a study about what is being done, and a resource for anyone interested in the subject. Art has the power to reframe the conversation about our environmental crisis so it is inclusive, constructive, and conducive to action. Art can, and should, shape our values and behavior so we are better equipped to face the formidable challenge in front of us.
Across the globe, young people are stepping up as never before to confront the climate crisis. This spring, the Climate Museum is excited to present a new platform for creative youth leadership, recognizing the hunger youth have to engage with climate action.
On March 16, the Museum kicks off the first annual Climate Speaks, a citywide spoken word training program and competition for high school students, presented in partnership with the New York City Department of Education Office of Sustainability and with special thanks to Urban Word NYC.
Climate Speaks includes workshops, trainings, mentoring, a written competition, and live auditions, with 16 finalists taking the stage of the Apollo Theater on Friday, June 14. For program details, visit climatespeaks.org.
Young people deserve better than climate chaos and they know it. The report last fall from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sounded a new level of alarm, intensifying the call to transform our society and build toward a more equitable, climate-safe future. Though the window is shrinking, we still have time to act.
Youth imagination and vision have a unique capacity to inspire us all. Join us in listening to those whose future is at stake.
All high school students in the New York Metropolitan area are eligible to register for Climate Speaks. Please forward this to anyone you know who fits that description! The final performance at the Apollo Theater on Friday, June 14 is open to the general public; we’ll let you know as soon as tickets go on sale.
We are deeply grateful to our partners who are hosting Climate Speaksworkshops across the city: DreamYard, Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, Sunset Park High School, and Urban Word NYC.
Vacancy: Communications Manager to create compelling external communications and marketing materials
Sniffer is a sustainability charity that brings people and ideas together to create a sustainable and resilient society. This exciting new role will lead the creation of compelling external communication and marketing plans that increase the visibility of Sniffer and our programmes including Adaptation Scotland and Climate Ready Clyde.
The Communications Manager will:
Develop and implement effective communication strategies that raise awareness, engage stakeholders and meet funding requirements
Proactively promote and secure positive media coverage of Sniffer’s projects and activities, helping promote and shape public debate on sustainability and climate change issues
Manage the design and production of all online and print external facing documents and marketing materials
Create press releases, press kits, newsletters, and related marketing materials ensuring key messages are wide-reaching, impactful and consistent
Maximise the charity’s brand visibility at conferences and events through publicity and the production of relevant promotional materials
Improve communication of Sniffer’s purpose, programmes and projects, including updating our online presence.
Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.
In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.
We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.
Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:
Changing their own behaviour; Communicating with their audiences; Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.
On Tuesday (26 February), Primary 6 students of Fernielea Primary School performed two co-created songs about flooding as part of a project to connect local residents with flood risk and their environment through the medium of music as part of ‘Creative Approaches to Engaging Flood Risk Communities’.
“The Den Burn is flooding, don’t panic†was the key message of the first song, “The Burnie Journeyâ€, sung by Mrs Leslie’s class to their fellow pupils and representatives from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the Scottish Flood Forum and the Dee Catchment Partnership. The song aims to reassure students and local residents about flooding in their local burn and creatively inform them of some of the flood management schemes the council have set up including at the Den of Maidencraig and Stronsay Park, both of which are designed to store floodwater upstream, protecting roads and properties further downstream in the heart of Aberdeen.
As part of the project, Simon took the class on a walk of the Den Burn pointing out some of the flooding and flood management issues. The pupils took recordings of the sounds they heard and learned verses of the Burnie Journey song along the way
The second song, “The Flood Kitâ€, is a memory song to the tune of “Rattlin’ Bogâ€, and was written with the class to remind them what useful items to include in a flood or emergency kit.
On working with the Primary 6 class, Simon Gall said:
“It’s been heartening to see the children engaging so enthusiastically with the Den Burn and flooding issues more generally. I think our hands-on, creative learning approach to the topic is key. The children use their creative skills to process and convert fairly pedestrian information – gathered first-hand – into something unique and memorable. I hope the experience leaves a lasting impression on them while also leaving some lovely creative work for others to use and enjoy.â€
The project has been developed in partnership by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scotland’s culture and sustainability charity Creative Carbon Scotland. The project explores how creative approaches could be used by Scotland’s flooding authorities to engage with communities vulnerable to future flooding and raise levels of flood awareness and preparedness in a way that is meaningful and relevant to the community.
Some of the primary 6 student musical stars.
SEPA is Scotland’s national authority for flood forecasting and warning and works with communities to help them be more flood resilient. Recently, SEPA has significantly enhanced its existing warning service in north east Scotland with the addition of a new coastal flood warning scheme, covering 2033 properties in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Angus, giving people time to take preparatory action against the impact of flood events.
Stewart Prodger, from SEPA’s Flooding team, said:
“Every day SEPA works to protect and enhance Scotland’s environment, including helping Scotland prepare more powerfully for future increased flooding. Getting the next generation involved in understanding how flooding happens is a vital part of how we do that, helping local communities become more resilient. More traditional engagement will always have its place, but making learning more fun and the message memorable can be a far more effective way to get young people interested and spreading the word to their friends and families on how they can be flood-prepared. This could include encouraging their parents to sign up to SEPA’s free public flood warning service, so free messages for home and travel areas can be delivered direct to their phone. Register online at https://floodline.sepa.org.uk/floodupdates/ or call 0345 988 1188.â€
Director of Creative Carbon Scotland, Ben Twist, said:
“We’re thrilled to be working on this project with SEPA. As a charity which promotes, supports and harnesses the role of culture in addressing the climate crisis, we see a key role for creative practitioners, such as musicians, to help draw out the creativity and imagination of communities in their response to climate change and offer different skills and approaches to contribute to the work of organisations like SEPA.â€
Councillor John Wheeler, Education Operational Delivery Convener, said:
“Our schools have a great record of getting involved in environmental projects across the city and in getting the local community involved. Only last week Orchard Brae School earned a prestigious Green Flag from Eco-Schools Scotland and it’s great to Fernielea School involved in a project like this with SEPA. I’m sure all the pupils and staff involved will find the day really rewardingâ€.
Creative Approaches to Engaging Flood Risk Communities is a partnership between SEPA and Creative Carbon Scotland support from Aberdeen City Council, has been commissioned by SEPA with via SEPA’s Research and Development Fund.
Creative Carbon Scotland’s involvement is part of its Culture/SHIFT programme which supports cultural and sustainability practitioners to explore new ways of working together to address complex problems and bring about transformational change.
Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.
In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.
We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.
Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:
Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.
The fourth in a series of blogs from playwright Lewis Hetherington about his work with Glasgow cycling charity Bike for Good and Creative Carbon Scotland.
We’re all just back from a cycle ride. exhausted, smiling, happy, we’re already talking about where we might cycle tomorrow. We start to chat about other things…
him: you know what it’s only six years ’til I get my driving licence!!!
me: Are you excited about that?
him: YES!
me: how come?
him: cos I can DRIVE A CAR!
me: Maybe in five years there’ll be no cars!
him: Looks at me in complete confusion
me: So no one will need a driving licence because there’ll be no cars!
him: continues to stare as his disbelief grows… as though I’ve just started making bizarre and incomprehensible wailing sounds.
There I was, on a glorious sunny afternoon the other week, having ridden through the park with some of the brilliant youngsters who regularly attend the after school bike club. We were all buzzing, from feeling the sunshine stream down as we free wheeled our bikes around the park. Not to mention some exhilarating games of ‘Sardines’ and ‘Find the Cones’, I did very well in the first and was terrible in the latter, but we all had a great time. Back at the hub, the conversation turned to cars and a number of the group expressed mega excitement about learning to drive.
him: but you couldn’t have no cars. how would anyone get anywhere? how could you do that? how would anyone get to work?
Pavements are for people, train tracks are for trains, roads are for cars
This isn’t the first time these ideas have come up, I chatted to some of the same youngsters before Christmas around the same idea. It was a much needed jolt to my naive thinking that these young cyclists might not be interested in cars. I remember looking out at the streaming traffic on Victoria Road behind them as we chatted and it hit me like a brick that of course they want to drive. As much as they love cycling, car usage is the model of transport that is presented to them all day, every day. Pavements are for people, train tracks are for trains, roads are for cars, and our cities are built around roads. It’s the model we all take part in everyday.
me: but imagine the whole of Victoria Road didn’t have cars, we could all cycle, or skateboard!?
Now, I have a car. I am very much part of this problem. Myself, my partner and our two dogs rely on it to get us round the country to visit family and friends, he uses it for his work which takes him all over Scotland. Doing any of those things would be much harder (not impossible!) without a car. We avoid using it wherever we can. But still here I was, trying to sell the idea of a car-less city.
him: I want to drive so I can get places, go wherever I want, get to work, drive to Romania.
Towards beautiful acts
I’m reminded of an Arne Naess quote I read recently:
“the extensive moralising within environmentalism has given the public the false impression that we primarily ask them to sacrifice, to show more responsibility, to show more concern, better moralsâ€
Now of course this is all connected to an urgent discussion which is happening about the (in?)significance of individual action which we won’t go into in length here, other than to say that for the shift to active transport to be meaningful requires change on a civic scale where going by a car is the least preferable option for travel within our urban areas at the very least. Cleaner air, healthier and cheaper travel is what we are aiming towards, not people feeling they have to ‘sacrifice’ their right to drive a car.
There’s another Arne Naess quote where he wonders if
“perhaps we should primarily try to influence people towards beautiful acts“
which seems to capture a lot of what I’m trying to capture at Bike For Good. It feels to me like a pleasingly poetic encapsulation of what they’re doing. It almost feels uncomfortably lofty and wide eyed, but I think that’s why I like it, we need to be wide eyed and giddy and lean into the profound beauty of this living planet we are part of.
Face the terror that is imminent
Planet not profit! Credit: Geraldine Heaney
Now I can feel certain people flinching at their screens – we don’t just need wafty sentiment about the beauty of the earth – we need to face the terror that is imminent! We need to be shocked into action at the catastrophic damage we’re doing to our planet! We need to get out on the streets and make our resistance seen and heard where we can!
Plural and abundant and wildly variant
Sunset on the park. Credit: Lewis Hetherington
But I suppose something I’m trying to resist is the binary framing that sometimes frames contemporary debates, I don’t find it helpful to think in terms of hope or fear, individual or societal action. Those sorts of dualities are not an honest reflection of the world we’re part of. Nature is plural and abundant and wildly variant and diverse, and we are part of nature.
Trees like skyscrapers and housing as many. Grass the height of hedges, nuts the swell of pumpkins. Sardines that would take two men to land them. Eggs, pale-blue-shelled, each the weight of a breaking universe. And underneath, mushrooms soft and small as a mouse ear. A crack like a cut, and inside a million million microbes wondering what to do next. Spores that wait for the wind and never look back. Moss that is concentrating on being green.[1]
We must be terrified, joyful, patient, demanding, thoughtful, hopeful, optimistic, sceptical, generous, angry, rebellious, mindful and instinctive… sometimes all at once.
him: how would it work with no cars?
me: I don’t know. How do you think it would work?
we don’t finish the conversation at this moment, as it’s time to huddle together for a group photo.
her: ok everyone in position? We’re going to take ten photos and try and make a GIF. So just keep moving the whole time ok? Let’s go!
Lewis is working embedded with Bike for Good for two years in their VeloCommunities project to contribute to their activities widening access to cycling and helping Glasgow to become a more sustainable city.
Creative Carbon Scotland is a partnership of arts organisations working to put culture at the heart of a sustainable Scotland. We believe cultural and creative organisations have a significant influencing power to help shape a sustainable Scotland for the 21st century.
In 2011 we worked with partners Festivals Edinburgh, the Federation of Scottish Threatre and Scottish Contemporary Art Network to support over thirty arts organisations to operate more sustainably.
We are now building on these achievements and working with over 70 cultural organisations across Scotland in various key areas including carbon management, behavioural change and advocacy for sustainable practice in the arts.
Our work with cultural organisations is the first step towards a wider change. Cultural organisations can influence public behaviour and attitudes about climate change through:
Changing their own behaviour;
Communicating with their audiences;
Engaging the public’s emotions, values and ideas.
Public good references economic factors. Common good references common ethics. Blued Trees aligns both with culture and Earth rights to demand a new understanding of justice.”-Aviva Rahmani Activists in Northern VA are now in touch with community members in Southern VA, near Blacksburg, who have already painted hundreds of trees. The Northern activists are considering expanding resistance to the pipelines and coordinating their legal strategies with the Blued Trees experiences.
There are two recent interviews available, you can listen to The Art of Protecting Lands: Aviva Rahmani a State of the Art podcast recorded April 8th, 2019 as well as The Sarah West Love show, a live radio conversation recorded April 2nd, 2019 with Gale Elston, Robin Scully and Aviva Rahmani about expanding The Blued Trees Symphony in Virginia.
A Blade of Grass’s short documentary “Can Art Stop a Pipeline?†about the Blued Trees Project and “I Speak for the Trees, A Mock Trial,†is now available online!
Join us at the Idea Garden, 346 Broadway, Kingston, NY April 27th at 7 pm for a screening of the film “Can Art Stop a Pipeline?” followed by a Q&A with Aviva Rahmani.
From Climate Cultures: Paul Michael Henry, artist and artistic director of UNFIX, writes about UNFIX 2019 in Glasgow (29-31 March).
“… People keep mis-labelling it ‘Unfixed’ or ‘The Unfix’ but it’s UNFIX: a command form. A verb and activity.
A loosening, disburdening, freeing-up. Anti-fatalistic, with the assumption that it doesn’t have to be like this. I experience climate change as a terrible affirmation: we cannot treat each other, ourselves and our surroundings this way. We can’t walk around with these egos functioning the way they do, and live.â€
ecoartscotland has commissioned Christiana Bissett to report from the Festival. More to follow.
ecoartscotland is a resource focused on art and ecology for artists, curators, critics, commissioners as well as scientists and policy makers. It includes ecoartscotland papers, a mix of discussions of works by artists and critical theoretical texts, and serves as a curatorial platform.
