activism & art

In 2015 I started Inspiration Pollination, a community of creators who seed ideas about the importance of pollinators. I continue to incorporate pollinators into my artwork and exchange ideas with members of the group and will do so until all pollinator numbers have sufficiently risen. That year our household even handed out pro-bat treats for Halloween – complete with chocolate they most likely pollinated and “bat facts.”

Five Inspiration Pollination members and I organized an effort to change attitudes around the Florida Black Bear hunt. The result is an article called “Remember Me”, which you can read here. Using our art to evoke empathy was a last-ditched effort to stop next year's hunt, but might possibly be the most effective. Since then, I have become involved in facilitating resolutions to be passed in Florida municipalities and counties, opposing future bear hunts. 

The bear-themed piece I created for the article called "The Greater Green" was displayed in a show during Art Basel called For Everglades, hosted by HARRISART. The show raised awareness around stopping the River of Grass Greenway (ROGG) – a “bike path” that will cut through the Everglades, potentially displacing wildlife and affecting water flow. Read more here.

For the 2016 St. Stephens' Art Show, I created a piece that invited guests to write a message or draw a picture, in collaboration with me, to commemorate the bears that we lost in last year's hunt. The piece not only created awareness to this year's impending hunt, but also invited conversation around the issue.

At the end of 2016, I started a new group and blog called The Artful Activist. It has since been turned into an online magazine. I had felt there was a need for a space for artist activists to voice their unique perspectives and network with those of like minds. The collective includes over 250 Contributors: artists, musicians, writers, activists, performers, scientists and experts. On our public Facebook page, we promote badass artists, activists and the galleries who help them change the world! You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

2017 has been filled with rallies, marches and lots of protest art! I co-organized the Artist March with Alessandra Mondolfi in June of this year, and also made a giant caterpillar puppet for use at that march, as well as the March Against Monsanto. I've continued making protest art in 2018, including three kinetic pieces – one of which went viral, made for the March for Our Lives. My work has even extended into painting and up cycling secondhand clothes.

I have also helped form a coalition called Pesticide Free Miami, to help encourage legislation limiting the use of pesticides in public areas. Please follow us on Facebook!

Please email inspirationpollination@gmail.com or theartfulactivist@gmail.com if you would like to collaborate on an important issue.