Group exhibition by Conservation Council of New Brunswick supporters in partnership with International Centre of Art for Social Change looks at challenges of climate change and the power of people to make a difference
Unceded and unsurrendered Wolastoqey/Mi’kmaq/Peskotomuhkati territory/Fredericton — The Conservation Council is pleased to showcase the work of its innovative community art project in an exhibition at the UNB Art Centre from March 7 to April 18.
From Harm to Harmony: The Healing Power of Nature is a group exhibition featuring works by citizens across New Brunswick from varying backgrounds and disciplines united in a desire to inspire positive change through art.
The exhibition is a result of the Conservation Council’s partnership with the International Centre of Art for Social Change as part of the FUTURES/forward mentorship program.
For the past two months, participants met online with project facilitator Juliana Bedoya, educator and community-based environmental artist, to transform their concerns for climate change impacts and environmental challenges into artwork to inspire positive change and action on climate solutions.
Participants discussed and developed ideas, shared skills and collaborated as they reflected upon the growing threat of climate change. Together and individually, through a variety of media and techniques including embroidery, papier maché, photography, painting, rug hooking, video production, felting, and weaving, the participants’ work offers varying perspectives on the natural world and the challenges facing society today.
By creating awareness about environmental concerns, particularly in our home province, the group wishes to move beyond the negative impacts to find a way forward and encourage positive social change.
From Harm to Harmony: The Healing Power of Nature will be on view in the East Gallery March 7- April 18 in the UNB Art Centre at Memorial Hall on the UNB Fredericton campus. Another exhibition, Trees for Life by Nova Scotia artist Nancy Stevens, will be on view in the West Gallery.
Follow the exhibits and programs on-line and sign up for viewing here. See the exhibition virtually here (beginning March 7).
About the facilitator
Located in British Columbia, Juliana Bedoya has facilitated a variety of community engagement projects bringing awareness to environmental issues through education and social practise. As part of the Something Collective she has developed different projects including We Are Here and Our Footprint at various community centres in Vancouver where participants grew living moss graffiti murals as part of a community mapping project. With Through the Eye of the Needle she guided an international exploration with two schools in West Vancouver and Colombia on the impact of fast fashion on the environment. Along with community art projects she has worked as a curator and Gallery Manager at ArtStarts in Schools in Vancouver, served as the Community Arts Supervisor at the Ferry Building Gallery, and was selected for an artist’s residency for the Incubator Project that was part of the Park Board’s Fieldhouse Activation Program of the City of Vancouver. Juliana Bedoya brings a wealth of experience and commitment to New Brunswick in her role as facilitator for this project.
About FUTURES/forward
Juliana Bedoya’s artist-in-residency with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick is part of FUTURES/forward, a mentorship program that embeds community-engaged artists in organisations to enhance and empower social change agendas. FUTURES/forward is generously funded by the McConnell Foundation, the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund and Community Foundations of Canada. FUTURES/forward is an initiative of the International Centre of Art for Social Change (ICASC) and Judith Marcuse Projects (JMP), an arts organization with a 40-year history in Canada and abroad and a pioneer in the field of community-engaged art for social change (ASC).
Participating artists
Abigail Reinhart
Bethany Reinhart
Caroline Simpson
Danielle Smith
Fred Harrison and Grade 9 Students from the Sussex Regional High School
Josephine Savarese in collaboration with Dirk Groenenberg and the AK newcomer family. Thanks to Gary Weekes and Sara Miller for filming support.
Juliana Bedoya
Kim Reeder
Kristin Singh
Mario Doiron
Mitchell Milbury
Ralph Simpson
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Jon MacNeill, Communications Director, Conservation Council of New Brunswick, jon.macneill@conservationcouncil.ca | 506-238-3539