You can make a difference to the hurt being caused by climate chaos and the great extinction event, in your town or your city! How? Reuse, repurpose, and recycle this information.
This is the letter for week 67 of a weekly climate strike that went on for 4 years in front of San Francisco City Hall, beginning early March 2019. For more context, see this story. For an annotated table of contents to see topics for all the strike letters, see this story. Meanwhile…
STRIKE FOR THE PLANET
Art tell us the story of being human and alive now. Use it.
This week’s topic is Art.
How does art work?
Art provides a sense of community; it is created to be experienced by others and engages us in community even when our reactions to art are highly personalized.1
On Psychology and Neuroscience
By telling stories, we connect with each other. We talk about ourselves, our feelings, and what it is to be human.2
Pete Docter, Pixar
And so the ultimate aim of my writing is to create an environment of empathy, something that would allow the miracle of empathy to take place, where human beings can seem to rise out of themselves and extend themselves into others.3
Kwame Dawes, writer
I believe that one of the major responsibilities of artists - and the idea that artists have responsibilities may come as a surprise to some - is to help people not only get to know and understand something with their minds but also to feel it emotionally and physically. By doing this, art can mitigate the numbing effect created by the glut of information we are faced with today, and motivate people to turn thinking into doing.4
Olafur Eliasson, artist
Culture is a space where we can introduce ideas, attach emotions to concrete change and win enthusiasm for our values. Art is where we can change the narrative, because it’s where people can imagine what change looks and feels like.5
Favianna Rodriguez, artist
…we act upon the conviction that artistic expression is civic engagement and that access to a creative forum is essential to the wellness and health of every individual and community.6
Cornerstone Theater
Sunrise is a creative movement—working together across the country to build the world we want to live in.7
The Sunrise Movement
Why must SF use art to fight for our survival?
Because funding the arts gives enormous bang for the buck.8, 9, 10, 11
Because art thrives on creative problem-solving.12, 13
Because art is a big moneymaker for SF.14
Because art is affective and effective.15, 16, 17
Because art can build local consensus.18, 19
Because art is an easy way to remind a public of agreements.20, 21
Because art is where we figure things out.22, 23
How can SF use art to fight for our survival?
Put artists to work — it’s a cheap way to get a lot of result. And focus them on figuring out how to tell the story of the incredible dangers and astounding opportunities that face us. Flood the city with art about the biosphere, what is happening to it, and how this impacts us directly, personally, emotionally. Put artists and arts organizations to work in vacant buildings and city parks. Fund outdoor arts educational opportunities and online art. Have visions of the future front and center so we know we have to fight and so we know what we are fighting for.
What, specifically, do we do in SF to start this?
- Talk to arts organizations about what is needed to allow the arts to flourish (not just survive) in SF. Don’t just talk to the big players; talk to any group that you can find, established or brand new. Remember, art thrives on innovation, and big institutions in the arts are rarely innovative. So, yes, talk to the San Francisco Arts Alliance to hear from the big guns, but also use your new contact tracing skills to find the small groups doing frontline art work.24
- Make public spaces public.25 Make art an ongoing and vital part of those spaces. Rethink the use of such spaces by old, donated26, and often irrelevant-to-hateful monuments.27, 28
- Promote, support, and engage in on-going, iterative, community art as a way to reach common understanding on the state of the city and needed actions.
- Make spaces for the arts. There are lots of vacant and underused buildings, lots, and roads; put art in them. Arts organizations and installations/performances can be nomadic — create a nomadic pathway for the arts in SF. It should not be hard to find art in SF that directly relates to life in SF. Because art is the story we tell ourselves about ourselves, it needs to be current and everywhere.
Remember, you only need 25% of people to change a culture’s basic understanding of itself.29 We know that 66% of Americans are worried about climate change.30 We know that 85% of San Franciscans understand that climate change is happening.31 See? We have the number on our side. That’s why it’s time to use art and act to make SF viable as quickly as possible.
And a gentle reminder about why I’ve been doing this strike for over a year:
There are, at most, 21 weeks left in which to start the necessary big actions if we’re going to survive.32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39 In a little over a year, we have lost 10 years time in which to act. The Guardian started a climate countdown this last week, and gives us 98 days to save the earth.40 Because there is NO time left, you must act now.
FOOTNOTES
1. psychneuro. “What Does Art Do For You?” On Psychology and Neuroscience. 6 April 2016. https://psych-neuro.com/2016/04/06/what-does-art-do-for-you/.
2. Jeremy Adam Smith and Jason Marsh. “Why We Make Art”. Greater Good Magazine. 1 December 2008. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_we_make_art.
3. Jeremy Adam Smith and Jason Marsh. “Why We Make Art”. Greater Good Magazine. 1 December 2008. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_we_make_art.
4. Olafur Eliasson. “Why art has the power to change the world”. World Economic Forum. 18 January 2016. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/why-art-has-the-power-to-change-the-world/.
5. Favianna Rodriguez. “Change the Culture, Change the World”. CreativeTime. 1 April 2013. https://creativetimereports.org/2013/04/01/change-the-culture-change-the-world/.
6. “About: Our Vision”. Cornerstone Theater Company. Accessed 5 August 2020. https://cornerstonetheater.org/about/.
7. “Welcome to Sunrise Creative School”. Sunrise Movement. Accessed 4 August 2020. https://www.sunrisemovement.org/sunrise-creative-school.
8. David Edgar. “Why should we fund the arts?” The Guardian. 5 January 2012. https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2012/jan/05/david-edgar-why-fund-the-arts.
9. Brooke Boland. “Why smart cities should invest in the arts”. ArtsHub. 28 June 2016. https://visual.artshub.com.au/news-article/sponsored-content/visual-arts/brooke-boland/why-smart-cities-should-invest-in-the-arts-251613.
10. Brian Passey. “Investing in culture: Cities see value in arts”. The Spectrum. 6 April 2017. https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2017/04/06/investing-culture-cities-see-value-arts/100053446/.
11. Todd Hirsch. “The economic imperative for investing in arts and culture”. The Globe And Mail. 27 March 2013. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/the-economic-imperative-for-investing-in-arts-and-culture/article10463290/.
12. Ian D. “Art and Creativity to Solve Problems”. ART + marketing. 13 July 2018. https://artplusmarketing.com/art-and-creativity-to-solve-problems-d808f252982c.
13. Marsha James. “San Francisco Artists Make Art from Trash”. Voice Of America. 17 April 2015. https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/artists-nmake-art-from-trash/2720508.html.
14. Charles Desmarais. “SF arts groups could lose $73 million in coronavirus shutdown, study says”. SF Chronicle. 23 March 2020. https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/sf-arts-groups-face-48-million-loss-in-coronavirus-shutdown-study-says.
15. Osei Bonsu, Okwui Enwezor, L.A. Kauffman, Rob Sharp, Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, and Zheng Bo. “How Effective is Art as a Conduit of Change?” Frieze. 20 March 2017. https://www.frieze.com/article/how-effective-art-conduit-change.
16. Leigh Shulman. “How art creates social change in 5 TED Talks”. Cloudhead. 3 September 2013. http://cloudhead.org/2013/09/03/the-power-of-art-to-affect-social-change-shown-in-5-ted-talks/.
17. Ellen Yoshi Tani, Jessica Backus, and Olivia Jene-Fagon. “Can Art Change the Future for Racial and Ethnic Identity? A Roundtable Conversation” The Art Genome Project. 8 September 2015. https://www.artsy.net/article/the-art-genome-project-can-art-change-the-future-for-racial-and.
18. “A Guide to Engaging the Community in Your Project”. D.I.Y. Creative Placemaking: Artscape. Accessed 5 August 2020. http://www.artscapediy.org/Creative-Placemaking-Toolbox/Who-Are-My-Stakeholders-and-How-Do-I-Engage-Them/A-Guide-to-Engaging-the-Community-in-Your-Project.aspx.
19. Dyan Branstetter. “How to Successfully Teach Social and Emotional Skills Through the Arts”. Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM. October 2017. https://educationcloset.com/2017/10/01/social-emotional-skills-arts-integration/.
20. Tom Borrup. “5 Ways Arts Projects Can Improve Struggling Communities”. Project For Public Spaces. 1 January 2009. https://www.pps.org/article/artsprojects.
21. Evelyn Henson. “Why Public Art Matters (And What You Can Do To Get More Of It”. Evelyn Henson. 23 January 2019. https://www.evelynhenson.com/blogs/behind-the-scenes/why-public-art-matters-and-what-you-can-do-to-get-more-of-it.
22. Daphna Kapnik and Melissa Morales. “Harnessing Art’s Power To Challenge Social Norms”. Vital Voices. Accessed 5 August 2020. https://www.vitalvoices.org/2012/03/harnessing-arts-power-to-challenge-social-norms/.
23. “Public Art as a Form of Participation”. Facing History and Ourselves. Accessed 5 August 2020. https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/standing-democracy/public-art-form-participation.
24. You can start by contacting the organizations that serve these frontline arts workers: Theatre Bay Area, Intersection for the Arts, Southern Exposure, Root Division, Counter Pulse, 826 Valencia (the Pirate Store), QWOCMAP, Imprint City, The Medea Project, Creativity Explored, the Precita Eyes Muralists, Brava For Women In The Arts, Youth Speaks, The Lab, Mission Cultural Center, Dancers’ Group, and so many more.
25. Zachary Small. “‘There Should Be Greater Transparency’: Public Art Becomes a Political Battleground”. ARTnews. 4 August 2020. https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/public-art-commission-controversies-new-york-san-francisco-1202696028/.
26. Pointless and unconnected statues in Golden Gate Park include Robert Emmet, Pioneer Woman (the only statue of a “real” female in Golden Gate Park, the former president of Czechoslovakia, Beethoven, Verdi, Goethe, Schiller, Bobbie Burns, Cervantes, and Drake’s Cross.
27. Hannah Holzer. “San Francisco’s Toppled Statues”. SFWeekly. 4 July 2020. https://www.sfweekly.com/culture/san-franciscos-toppled-statues/.
28. Ida Mojadad. “A Brief History of Golden Gate Park Memorials”. SFWeekly. 27 September 2017. https://www.sfweekly.com/news/suckafreecity/a-brief-history-of-golden-gate-park-memorials/.
29. Katherine Wei. “How Many People Do You Need to Change the Culture?” Sierra. 7 June 2018. https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/how-change-peoples-minds-25-percent-tipping-point.
30. Rebecca Klar. “Survey finds 66 percent worried about climate change even amid coronavirus”. The Hill. 19 May 2020. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/498465-survey-finds-66-percent-worried-about-climate-change-even-amid.
31. Drew Costley. “Study: SF has highest percentage of people who think global warming is happening”. SFGate. 12 August 2018. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/San-Francisco-climate-change-belief-Yale-UCSB-13149115.php.
32. Matt McGrath. “Climate change: 12 years to save the planet? Make that 18 months”. BBC News. 24 July 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48964736.
33. Heather Smith. “Climate Change: Even Worse Than We Thought”. Sierra. 8 October 2018. https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/climate-change-even-worse-we-thought-ipcc-report.
34. Michael Grose and Julie Arblaster. “Just how hot will it get this century? It’s worse than we thought”. Phys Org. 18 May 2020. https://phys.org/news/2020-05-hot-century-worse-thought.html.
35. Amelia Urry. “The scientist who first warned of climate change says it’s much worse than we thought”. Grist. 22 March 2016. https://grist.org/science/the-scientist-who-first-warned-of-climate-change-says-its-much-worse-than-we-thought/.
36. Rafi Letzter. “Today’s Climate Change Is Worse Than Anything Earth Has Experienced in the Past 2,000 Years”. Live Science. 25 July 2019. https://www.livescience.com/66027-climate-change-different.html.
37. John D. Sutter. “Vanishing”. CNN. Accessed 30 June 2020. https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2016/12/specials/vanishing/.
38. Peter Castagno. “Biodiversity Loss Worst in Human History — 1 Million Animal Species Risk Extinction”. Citizen Truth. 6 May 2019. https://citizentruth.org/biodiversity-loss-worst-in-human-history-1-million-animal-species-risk-extinction/.
39. Kristen Callihan. “Earth’s Currently Ongoing Sixth Mass Extinction Is Worse Than We Thought”. OutwardOn. 7 August 2017. https://www.outwardon.com/article/earths-currently-ongoing-sixth-mass-extinction-event-is-worse-than-we-thought/.
40. “Climate countdown”. The Guardian. Accessed most recently 29 July 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/series/climate-countdown.