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Table of Contents
Introduction
Introduction
Art is a powerful force that can inspire, educate, empower, or even keep us safe!
This page includes some ideas of ways to use art to help the environment or even just to help one another. We've included examples, how-to guides, organizations, grant opportunities and more to help you on your path to a more beautiful world.
Types of Art Activism
Types of Art Activism
Banners
Banners
These can be made from found and recycled materials. Simple is often best, but witty comments or moving imagery can make a big difference. Consider colour choices and contrast, which along with large font can make the difference between a message people can read, and one that may be nearly invisible. Quilters might use old scraps, knitters might use yarn, but you can easily use the side of a cardboard box if time and materials are limited. Bigger banners that require multiple people to hold them can be a strong sign of unity, not to mention harder to miss.
Chalk
Chalk
This washes away in the rain and makes for fun, light hearted "graffiti".
Check out some impressive examples, and think about messages you might want to leave for your neighbors.
This page shows how easy it is to make chalk at home, if you can't find any locally, but be aware that tempara pain contains eggs.
The video above shows how chalkivism can bring communities together, and even use pollution to create meaningful art.
Tips
Tips
"Let's take your sidewalk chalk drawings to the next level by adding water! In this video I will demonstrate 3 new techniques; painting water on your chalk drawing, soaking your chalk before drawing and drawing with chalk on wet concrete. Any brand of chalk can be used and remember to only use sidewalk chalk on your sidewalk or driveway."
In the next video, an activist explains how chalk can engage people to ask questions, instead of avoiding activists like they might with a megaphone or pamphlets.
The next video shows how a piece of paper can be used to help jump start a pre-planned piece of art.
Documentaries & Films
Documentaries & Films
These can have a huge impact on the behavior of many people, even large groups. Film combines visuals, music, and words to help us learn about the problems in the world, but most importantly, they can remind us that there is hope, and can help us learn about solutions which are within reach for anyone. These solutions might involve some civic activism like calling or writing to politicians, showing up to marches and protests, or even easier, like changing our diets and buying habits.
Fashion
Fashion
We've all heard that fast fashion is bad for the environment, but by making, tailoring, or upcycling your own, you can increase the lifespan of clothes while enjoying looks you love! One simple way you can maximize the life of home-made or home-altered clothing is to use traditional seam making practices, instead of the machines used by the fast fashion industry which actually cut *and* sew at the same time, meaning the threats of garments often fall apart the first time they are worn, instead of lasting for years or decades like traditionally made clothes usually do.
Visible Mending
Visible Mending
Combines art and utility. Check out r/Visiblemending for examples and practical advice from fellow menders.
Functional Art
Functional Art
Shade
Shade
There are many ways art can be functional.
5:44 minute video talks about how a solution to increasing heat has helped women in Spain, and how their crochet work is helping their community.
Transportation Art
Transportation Art
Art can help people feel a sense of place, and help orient them in spaces that might otherwise be confusing. Art in transportation can also make a place safer as people tend to drive past more slowly.
Transportation Art: The Scenic Route Guide to Arts, Culture, and Transportation "Creative placemaking is an approach that deeply engages the arts, culture, and creativity—especially from underrepresented communities—in planning and designing transportation projects to better reflect and celebrate local culture, heritage, and values. This updated guide from Smart Growth America and Transportation for America provides a tour of the eight common approaches used in exemplary projects across the country at the potent intersection of arts, culture, and transportation."
Ocean Protecting Art
Ocean Protecting Art
Click the Ocean-Protecting Art button to learn how art both above and beneath the waves is being used to help our oceans.
Gardens
Gardens
These spaces can offer space for imaginative ways to solve local problems with some artistic flare. Gardens can provide food, shelter from the noisy world, crafting supplies like fibers and dyes, they can also offer sensory experiences. Children and adults, especially with disabilities can benefit greatly from visual, tactile, auditory, and even scent-based experiences. Sensory gardens should include plants with a variety of smells, colours and textures, but care should be taken to avoid poisonous plants where someone might accidentally touch or eat them. Raised garden beds can give people with mobility restrictions the ability to engage. Pots, paving, paint, chimes and more can be fun ways to create a soothing or inspiring and engaging space for people to share.
Click the button on the right to learn about different types of gardens and their benefits. Topics include sensory gardens, resources for planning and acquiring materials, organizations and project funding opportunities.
Glowstick Monsters
Glowstick Monsters
The Feed Me Glowstick Project takes donated art and construction supplies to make glow stick monsters for events. This brings attention to the lack of recycling facilities for these toxic party decorations.
Posters
Posters
If you are making these for a march or rally, then try to find used items instead of using fresh paper or cardboard. Big bold pen or paint makes words easier to see than pale pencils.
Posters can also be a form of street art, inspiring and educating.
Resources
Resources
Click the Eco Friendly Art Supplies button to see our growing list of suggestions for eco-friendly art supply companies as well as ways to make your own art supplies.
Transportation Art
Transportation Art
Transportation Art: The Scenic Route Guide to Arts, Culture, and Transportation "Creative placemaking is an approach that deeply engages the arts, culture, and creativity—especially from underrepresented communities—in planning and designing transportation projects to better reflect and celebrate local culture, heritage, and values. This updated guide from Smart Growth America and Transportation for America provides a tour of the eight common approaches used in exemplary projects across the country at the potent intersection of arts, culture, and transportation."
Groups
Groups
International
International
ArgoFilms "is dedicated to producing films that make a difference. Our productions have won 6 National Emmys (11 nominations), a duPont Columbia Award for journalism, multiple Genesis, Jackson Hole, CINE Golden Eagles, and over 80 international awards from New Zealand to Canada, Slovakia to Japan.
It is our mission to inspire understanding and compassion through film. Champions of endangered life, we attempt to provide a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves – be it endangered elephants, chimpanzees in captivity or people compromised by a changing world."
Oceana
Oceana
Australia
Australia
Climarte "is an initiator, an educator and a catalyst for artists and arts organizations to engage in climate-focused and socially engaged exhibitions and events.
Established a decade ago, CLIMARTE works to harness the creative power of the arts to inform, engage and inspire action towards a fairer, zero emissions future. Underpinned by climate science, it seeks, through the arts, to amplify and mobilize public responses to the climate crisis.
As the scientific facts, data and evidence (as well as daily news reports) show, the world is already in advanced stages of a Climate Emergency. At this late stage, maintaining life as we know it on Earth requires global economies to transition to zero emissions while at the same time drawing down legacy carbon at emergency scale and speed, before 2030."
Grants
Grants
International
International
The Greenbaum Foundation "At The Greenbaum Foundation, we focus our funding on effective and efficient projects working to bring about the end of suffering (human and non-human) in areas of the highest need and where we can have the most impact. We assist organizations with guidance, networking and funding."
North America
North America
USA
USA
Funding For The Arts "our mission is to contribute to the overall health and well-being of our community by generating resources for, investing in, and supporting our local arts, artists, and arts organizations."
Minnesota
MWMO: Community Grants "are available for short-term or small-scale water quality projects. The grant amount may not exceed $5,000. No matching funds are required."
Suggested Reading
Suggested Reading
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