Twenty-one artists applied for the first “Honoring the FutureSM Sustainability Award,” which will be presented at preview night April 22, prior to the April 23 opening of the 2015 Smithsonian Craft Show.
The award, which comes with a $1,000 prize, recognizes an artist whose work educates the public about climate change or inspires or models a sustainable response to climate change.
“Climate-change art is a rapidly growing field. These pioneering artists make environmental concern part of the artistic design or process. They are true cultural leaders who deserve recognition,” said Fran Dubrowski, Project Director of Honoring the Future.
The 21 artists chose varied ways to address sustainability, for example:
- highlighting impacts of climate change, such as rising seas, eroding shorelines, and vanishing species
- showcasing energy efficiency, sustainable agriculture, and wetland and forestry protection
- using natural materials instead of chemicals for leather tanning, fabric dyeing, and ceramic decoration, and
- refashioning discarded items – from broken skateboards and dolls to bed-sheets, wood scraps, and even damaged prosthetic eyes – into beautiful art.
See images below.
Holly Tornheim
Erica Millner
Lucrezia Bieler
Christine Love Adcock
David D’Imperio
Richard Judd
Mical Aloni
Eric Serritella
Carol Snyder
Ken Loeber
Melissa Greene
Leah Evans (Detail)
Betsy Youngquist
Vicki Essig (Detail)
Peter M. Petrochko
Sandra Enterline
Tara Locklear
Mary Ellen Sisulak
Irina Okula
Sang Joon Park
Claudia Grau
Media requests for permission to reprint these images can be obtained at press@honoringthefuture.org.
Lloyd Herman, founding Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, will select the award winner at the show’s April 22 preview night, which coincides with Earth Day. The 21 award contenders are among 121 artists, chosen from a pool of 1,100 applicants, who will be featured at the show April 23 – 26 at the National Building Museum, 401 F St. N.W. (Judiciary Square metro station) in Washington, D.C. All of the chosen artists were invited to apply for the award.
