COLORFUL COLLABORATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE.

Byline: JULIE ANN GRIMM

Art-centered outreach effort on display this fall in S.F.

By Julie Ann Grimm

The New Mexican 

Recognizing mankind's destructive impact on the environment and promoting changes in policy and behavior are among goals of an art-centered outreach effort this fall in Santa Fe.

Works that are part of "Vision Shift! Art in the Age of Climate Change" hit city buses this week as part of the Art in Transit program. Also, five venues will host exhibits beginning next week.

Organized through collaboration between area arts nonprofits and arts educators, Vision Shift! invited artists to communicate their concerns about global warming, pollution and environmental destruction and "celebrate the miraculous human ingenuity and innovation," wrote Mariel Nanasi, a policy adviser for New Energy Economy, the Santa Fe-based nonprofit sponsor of the event.

The result is a collection of works from more than 65 painters, sculptors, graphic artists, photographers and others. One piece, titled Modern Man, features a Frankenstein-ish suit wearer clutching a disposable coffee cup and a Blackberry that artist Mike Rohner superimposed on a photograph of golden skyscape and sparkling water.

Other works include polar bears swimming in an iceless ocean, a double-stacked line of freight cars against a blue sky and a scantily clad woman watching the Hollywood sign crumble into a mudslide.

The show will branch out from two-dimensional depictions into interactive displays.

"I'm not an artist, but I was really excited to participate," said John Foggarty, New Energy Economy's executive director.

So, Foggarty got in touch with colleagues on the Navajo Nation, where smoke billows daily from the Four Corners power plant. Together, they plan to arrange 3.5 tons of coal in a space at the Center for Contemporary Arts.

"That represents the amount of coal used by every single American every year," he said. Later, they plan to deliver coal to state lawmakers as a way of "highlighting how we need to take a new direction for energy in New Mexico to move away from coal and move toward developing solar."

Art exhibits began on buses Thursday, with kickoff events and other exhibit openings planned for Oct. 8 to Oct. 10, lasting through Nov. 30. Organizers are still looking for art for some shows and artists can arrive unannounced at exhibits planned at Santa Fe Art Institute and Santa Fe Place mall.

Half the sale price of any works sold in the show will be retained by the artist and half will be used by the collaborative for "action-oriented work that addresses climate destabilization," said Nanasi.

Contact Julie Ann Grimm at 986-3017 or [e-mail].