Weather Report

Today is the first day of the 2008 hurricane season but Arthur showed up a day early like a willful baby. Yesterday it was a tropical storm, now it’s a tropical depression, and since it’s crossing high terrain in Mexico, it may be downgraded to a remnant by the time it gets in the Gulf. We need some rain but I’m definitely not ready for psychotic window taping or contemplating how to wrangle a herd of cats in an evacuation situation. I don’t know where my batteries are and the pantry would make for some pretty weird eats if power were out. So note to self and fellow boxers - we’re supposed to be gettin’ prepared now.

This might seem out of place on an art blog, but I also still have Lucy Lippard’s May Rothko Chapel/Menil lecture, “Art and Environment”, on my mind. This lecture/slide show was somehow inspiring and messed-up disturbing at the same time. It also had, from my perspective, really low attendance for a Menil lecture. I’ve been frustrated about that on multiple levels but especially since I would have loved to discuss it with other folks who went.

She gave a sharp, sobering introduction that included the jaded but undeniably realistic assertion that art could not directly effect change in the world. Then she introduced work from the 09-12/2007 show she curated at the Bolder Museum of Colorado in collaboration with EcoArts called “Weather Report: Art and Climate Change”, which comprised the majority of the presentation.

From the BMOCA web site: “This exhibit partners the art and scientific communities to create a visual dialogue surrounding climate change. Historically, visual arts play a central role in attracting, inspiring, educating and motivating audiences. "Weather Report: Art and Climate Change" will exhibit artwork, in the museum and our partnering venues, and in outdoor site specific locations throughout Boulder, that will activate personal and public change.

Our collaborating partner EcoArts is a new effort bringing together scientists, environmentalists, and performing and visual artists - along with producers, presenters, scholars, spiritual leaders, policy makers, educators, businesses, and people from all walks of life - to use the arts to inspire new awareness of, discussion about, and action on environmental issues, with new possibilities for envisioning a sustainable future. Its programming principles are artistic excellence, scientific accuracy, environmental effectiveness, ethical practice, and whenever possible, presenting activities that strive to follow ‘the middle way’ of being either non-partisan or bi-partisan to reach the widest audience possible.”

I am also green –with envy – about the whole pairing of artists-with-scientist thing. I need some super geeky scientist friends to help me with my mystery science for artistic good! I’m ordering the catalog for this show today, so if fellow boxers want to check it out, let me know…

And just a little shout out to the BBAP – two of the quotes from my crappy and questionable lecture notes included “public works confront people in the street, unaware. They are harder to conceive and execute but they have the opportunity to surprise” and “women are far more likely to make effective public art.”