Greetings at the end of (another mild) Bostonian winter. Not only this past January was the warmest on record, but we have also just experienced a 12-month period of more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial reference period. This is not good, but it is a great motivator to continue to fight from our places for our planet’s health.
In this regard, when we think about the man-made climate and environmental crisis, we often focus on the land, the trees, and the forests, when in fact about 70% of Earth is covered by water, and the oceans hold about 96.5% of all the Earth’s water. Much nature and life happen in this ecosystem. Its biodiversity is affected by plastic pollution, high temperatures and overfishing. This effect on the oceans directly impacts the planetary temperature and chemistry. I love the phrase coined by American marine biologist, oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer Sylvia Earle: “No Blue, No Green”. Think about it.
Luckily there is a wealth of organizations working to protect the oceans and provide climate resilience, including those revitalizing ecosystems like corals. Corals represent only 1% of the ocean floor but they sustain 25% of the ocean life. They live close to the coast, so coast protection also helps corals. However, at the current rate, corals could disappear by 2050 without climate action due to pollution, overfishing, drilling, and mining.
If you feel inspired to act, I invite you to:
· Visit ReefOS and adopt a coral! I just adopted a baby Acropora globiceps to help restore our resilient coral reef.
Regarding ART:
· The catalog of my recent solo show: Topographical Visions at Hallspace is now available and on sale! One of the exhibited works is Ode to Coral (image)
· Read my interview at Canvas Rebel magazine to learn more about my art and my passion.
· The Alchemy of Hope: Art for Climate Action, an exhibit I am sharing with Yuko Oda at Proctor Academy, Andover NH, is on view until May 26th, 2024. Contact here to plan a visit.
News from i3C Artists:
· Please subscribe to our brand-new YouTube channel to enjoy artists interviews, exhibit tours, and video clips from our events.
· Reimagining Our World: Rejected Materials Reinvented, exhibit curated by Martha Heller and yours truly, at LexArt, Lexington MA, is coming up from March 23rd to April 21st, 2024: Opening Reception on Sunday March 24th (2-5 pm).
Till next time!
Image: “Ode to Coral”, acrylic, acrylic pen, and ink pen on corrugated cardboard, 14 x 4 x 1.75 inches, 2021, available.