What is the Enviro-Art Gallery?
The Enviro-Art Gallery presents art as a call to action, working to connect people to places, ecosystems, and international experiences of nature through engaging visual dialogues.
We are operating in a sometimes-hostile era of anti-science, anti-climate change politics. There needs to be a space and method for conveying local and global environmental degradation and injustice that is emotive, informative, and reflective to the point of engaging those who don’t always consider the environment in their everyday lives. Through the use of a variety of media and artistic styles, the gallery works to provide a relatable and easily absorbable method for environmental awareness and activism. The purpose is to promote actionability within communities by visually highlighting the importance of, aesthetic nature of, and anthropogenic threats to Mother Earth.
This program addresses persistent and pervasive environmental misinformation today, giving local and global communities an opportunity to accurately and emotively engage with environmental issues through art and local experts.
History
2017 - James River High School, Midlothian, VA: Started by Cameron Oglesby; consisted of 100+ pieces submitted by two high schools, a presentation from a professor at the University of Richmond on the role of environmentalism as a peace building tool, and 90+ attendees who said they left the event truly feeling something for nature.
2018 -​Duke University, North Carolina, NC: Though smaller, this showcase presented 50+ undergraduate, graduate, and professional works to 100+ people on Abele residential quad, promoting environmental awareness at Duke University on April 22nd.
2019 - Duke University, North Carolina, NC: Consisted of a month-long exhibit of 50+ pieces in Duke’s Rubenstein Arts Center in April, a large reception in Duke’s Rubenstein Arts Center Lounge, and a “Ruby Friday” Talk on the role of art as an environmental call to action. The relationship between the environment and the arts truly gained traction at Duke after this.
2020 - Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia: Prior to COVID-19, students and community members at Duke picked up the Enviro-Art Gallery for an additional month-long showcase on Duke’s campus. An Enviro-Art Gallery showcase was also set to take place at Bond University, Gold Coast, receiving substantial faculty and community support. Although the showcase has been postponed for this larger global endeavor, students and environmental innovation organizations there have agreed to keep the environmental art movement going in that community through an annual Enviro-Art Gallery showcase and programming.
2021 - Virtual Expansion: During COVID-19, the gallery was moved to a virtual setting, and, despite this obstacle, it showcased over 600 pieces from around the world and hosted 15 guest speakers over the course of a week-long virtual celebration. To view the virtual gallery and the recorded speaker sessions, click here.
Above pieces created by Cameron Oglesby.
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Meet the team
Isabel (she/her) is a junior majoring in Environmental Science and Policy with minors in Biology and Cultural Anthropology. She is interested in climate education and wants to work on climate policy at the state and federal levels. She is passionate about food systems, environmental justice, and urban policy.
In addition to serving as Vice President of External Affairs in the UEU, Isabel is a program director for the Climate and Sustainability orientation week track, a Rachel Carson Council Presidential Fellow, and an undergraduate research assistant at the Wright Lab, an ecology lab focused on climate change and biodiversity. She taught the Global EJ House Course, participated in the Duke Immerse Imagining the Future of Food Program, and is working at RMI this summer in the US Program. Isabel is so excited to be hosting the Enviro-Art Gallery 2022!
Isabel joined the UEU in Summer 2020.
Emily (she/her) is a sophomore majoring in Earth & Climate Science and minoring in Computer Science. With an interest in climate system dynamics, she is involved in climate science research on campus, as well as science communication work with the podcast Operation Climate. Also passionate about making sustainability accessible, she is working as a Green Devil intern this year, helping to orchestrate the Devil’s Thrifthouse, the Community Exchange, and other projects. She is planning on pursuing a graduate degree and working in climate research in the future, hoping to use her work to inform environmental policy.
Emily joined the UEU in Fall of 2020.
Fareed is a sophomore planning on pursuing a double major in Public Policy and Economics. By studying this combination of topics, he hopes to further learn about the intersection of economic development and environmental policy. Beyond the classroom, Fareed’s passions vary from environmental education to environmental research and justice. From educating youth on the climate crisis to studying the efficacy of sustainable agriculture, Fareed is excited to get involved with any and every aspect of environmental advocacy at Duke!
Fareed joined the UEU in Fall 2020
Ariel is a sophomore planning to major in Environmental Sciences with a minor in Inequality Studies. Ariel is passionate about studying environmental degradation and its socio-political impacts on minority populations. Outside the classroom, she participates in three research projects. One of which involves researching how Indigenous knowledge has been excluded from fishery management in West Coast Vancouver Island, British Columbia. In the future, she aspires to aid in conservation efforts that prioritize the protection of Indigenous knowledge and the health of minority populations. Ariel's research will allow her to make space for voices that are often oppressed or disregarded in environmental protection efforts.
Ariel joined the UEU in Fall 2021.
Ava is a first year student planning on majoring in Environmental Science and Policy. She is most interested in the science behind climate change and the adaptability of wildlife as a result. Ava is currently on a Bass Connections research team investigating hypoxia in whales, and works at the Duke Herbarium to digitize bryophyte records. She is excited to be involved in projects which allow her to work on advocacy and research in the environment!
Ava joined the UEU in Fall 2021
