BUSHEL is proud to present an exhibition of WE ARE THE STORM, a collaboration between Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative and CultureStrike.
CultureStrike and Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative have collaborated with artists and environmental justice organizations to create an art print portfolio designed to highlight how climate change disproportionately affects frontline communities. These images inspire us toward a widespread cultural shift — they serve as a vision about how underrepresented communities can lift up their voices to be heard.
This Climate Portfolio is a collection of fine art prints depicting the powerful work of grassroots organizations and groups that are working to defend the most impacted communities against largescale industrial fossil-fuel projects and helping to build resilience in communities affected by global warming.
As climate disasters continue to wreak havoc on communities around the globe, climate deniers increasingly dominate the mainstream debate around climate change. Their perpetuation of myths about the effects of global warming and climate change stand in the way of social and environmental progress towards a more balanced way of life on our planet, and point to an urgent need for art and culture that can inspire and educate people about the truth.
The portfolio consists of a limited edition of 22 prints created by CultureStrike and Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative artists — a diverse lineup of people of color, migrant, indigenous, and environmentalist visual artists from across North America. The collection is printed in a limited edition of 100 and is composed of both offset and screen prints.
At the heart of this portfolio is the belief that art has the power to move the climate conversation in a new direction by engaging the hearts and minds of people who might not otherwise have seen themselves, individually or collectively, as agents of change.
The portfolio draws inspiration from the work being done by frontline groups organizing in impacted communities to achieve a safe and just environment, by stopping the expansion of dangerous industrial projects, or rendering them obsolete.
The artworks also focused on what groups are doing to mitigate the accelerating effects of a changing climate, such as extreme weather, rising sea levels, and increasing temperatures. This work ranges from technological solutions, like the creation of green energy zones in urban areas, to broader cultural changes that allow for respect and learning from the wisdom and practices of indigenous peoples.
ARTISTS:
Agana
Micah Bazant
Kevin Caplicki
Thea Gahr
Thomas Greyeyes
Nicolas Lampert
Fernando Marti
Colin Matthes
Mazatl
Nicolas Medina
Roger Peet
Gilda Posada
Jesse Purcell
Pete Railand
Favianna Rodriguez
Julio Salgado
Meredith Stern
David Tim
Rommy Torrico
Mary Tremonte
Erin Yoshi
Bec Young
CultureStrike is a migrant-led organization that works with a national network of artists to change public sentiment around migration. We believe that art is critical to changing national consciousness around issues such as migrant rights, climate justice, and racial justice. Since our founding in 2011, we have connected a national network of 200+ socially engaged artists, provided space and funding for professional and creative development, developed shared strategy with movement groups, and spearheaded dozens of events and campaigns that have resonated in local venues, social media, and the halls of power. As we grow we continue to develop new projects that amplify our strategy and inspire new artists and audiences with visions of social justice.
Justseeds Artists’ Cooperative is a decentralized network of 30 artists committed to making print and design work that reflects a radical social, environmental, and political stance. With members working from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, Justseeds operates both as a unified collaboration of similarly minded printmakers and as a loose collection of creative individuals with unique viewpoints and working methods. We believe in the transformative power of personal expression in concert with collective action. To this end, we produce collective portfolios, contribute graphics to grassroots struggles for justice, work collaboratively both in- and outside the co-op, build large sculptural installations in galleries, and wheatpaste on the streets – all while offering each other daily support as allies and friends.
WE ARE THE STORM
February 18 – March 8, 2016
Opening Reception:
Thursday, February 18, 6-8pm
For more information:
www.culturestrike.org
www.justseeds.org