The first #SustayinHome Virtual Art Expo highlights sustainability-related artwork from the McGill community in a wide variety of mediums, ranging from a one-act play to a quilt made out of upcycled fabric
By Samantha Ling Communications Intern, McGill Office of Sustainability
June 18, 2020
Art and sustainability collide at McGill’s first SustayinHome Virtual Art Expo! Hosted by the Office of Sustainability as a part of their #SustayinHome campaign, which encourages the implementation of sustainability into at-home routines, the #SustayinHome Virtual Art Expo highlights sustainability-related artwork from the McGill community.
With the request for submissions having launched on the last day of Earth Month, the #SustayinHome Virtual Art Expo aimed to bring the McGill community together, virtually, to reflect on their personal and collective sustainability journeys, while building and sharing a vision for the future. Students, staff, faculty, and household members were invited to submit pieces of art that represented sustainability in one of the following ways: their personal commitment to the sustainability movement, what it means to drive transformational change for people and the planet, or their vision for the future of sustainability on campus. Artists were also encouraged to submit works that were created using materials diverted from landfill.
The Art Expo received submissions in a wide variety of mediums, ranging from a one-act play to a quilt made out of upcycled fabric. Along with their submissions, individuals were asked to include an artist statement that explained the meaning of their work and its connection to the theme of sustainability. Several submissions to the Art Expo emphasized the enhanced beauty of our planet visible during these unprecedented times through portrayals of wildlife and scenery. Others used their pieces as a means to call for social change, such as a linocut print that explored the role of fast fashion in society.
Whether it be through painting, writing, or upcycling, the power of these pieces to connect individuals and promote sustainable habits, even while we are unable to physically gather, is profound. Explore the SustayinHome Virtual Art Expo gallery here or join the Office of Sustainability and some of the Artists at the Art Expo Livestream on June 23, at 12 pm. RSVP to the free event here.
Below is a slide show sampling some of the SustayinHome Virtual Art Expo art work
Image 1 of 3
For the Bees by Emma Melis, Student
Artist statement: "I made this sign for the climate justice march last winter out of recycled cardboard I found on campus and acrylic paint. It shows a bee, weeping for the loss of its kind and for the fall of ecological balance due to climatic abuse by mankind. Since then, I've been reusing the sign for all climate events I attend, and I keep it in my room as a reminder for why I have committed my personal life, studies, and work to the environment. I choose to act "for the bees" because pollinators were the first catalysts for my passion for the environment when I was very young and getting involved in changing environmental policy. Both the message and the medium represent sustainability to me because of the longevity of the physical piece and because it serves as a constant reminder of issues that are bigger and greater than I am."
Image 2 of 3
Germinating Plant by Dr. Yevgen Nazarenko, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences
Artist Statement: "The drawing shows a lone seed germinating from the red soil symbolizing revegetation of barren land against the colourful backdrop of unnatural colours of the sky parting as the clear pink air of hope fills them out."
Image 3 of 3
Reclaiming her Habitat by Karen Oberer, Sustainability Officer
Artist Statement: I was inspired to create this piece after reading an article about how national parks around the world are changing during the COVID-19 pandemic: "conservationists are providing legitimate reports of cleaner air and water, and wildlife reclaiming contested habitats." Black bears are common sights at campgrounds during the summer; However, I wanted my piece to show an animal reclaiming space that properly belongs to it. This is not an invasion; it is a reclamation. National parks aren't just for people to enjoy nature, as important to human well-being as they are. Parks are conservation areas in which the native plant and animal species must be protected and respected. The article ends with call to action, "the adoption of a Planetary Health framework that aims to balance human and ecological well-being, build[ing] on emerging partnerships with local communities and foster[ing] innovative approaches to Indigenous-led conservation."
Article Source: Stinson, James, and Elizabeth (Libby) Lunstrum, "Coronavirus closures could lead to a radical revolution in conservation." The Conversation. 10 May 2020.
Artist statement: "I made this sign for the climate justice march last winter out of recycled cardboard I found on campus and acrylic paint. It shows a bee, weeping for the loss of its kind and for the fall of ecological balance due to climatic abuse by mankind. Since then, I've been reusing the sign for all climate events I attend, and I keep it in my room as a reminder for why I have committed my personal life, studies, and work to the environment. I choose to act "for the bees" because pollinators were the first catalysts for my passion for the environment when I was very young and getting involved in changing environmental policy. Both the message and the medium represent sustainability to me because of the longevity of the physical piece and because it serves as a constant reminder of issues that are bigger and greater than I am."
Image 2 of 3
Germinating Plant by Dr. Yevgen Nazarenko, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences
Artist Statement: "The drawing shows a lone seed germinating from the red soil symbolizing revegetation of barren land against the colourful backdrop of unnatural colours of the sky parting as the clear pink air of hope fills them out."
Image 3 of 3
Reclaiming her Habitat by Karen Oberer, Sustainability Officer
Artist Statement: I was inspired to create this piece after reading an article about how national parks around the world are changing during the COVID-19 pandemic: "conservationists are providing legitimate reports of cleaner air and water, and wildlife reclaiming contested habitats." Black bears are common sights at campgrounds during the summer; However, I wanted my piece to show an animal reclaiming space that properly belongs to it. This is not an invasion; it is a reclamation. National parks aren't just for people to enjoy nature, as important to human well-being as they are. Parks are conservation areas in which the native plant and animal species must be protected and respected. The article ends with call to action, "the adoption of a Planetary Health framework that aims to balance human and ecological well-being, build[ing] on emerging partnerships with local communities and foster[ing] innovative approaches to Indigenous-led conservation."
Article Source: Stinson, James, and Elizabeth (Libby) Lunstrum, "Coronavirus closures could lead to a radical revolution in conservation." The Conversation. 10 May 2020.