Art and Environmental Struggle Curating an Exhibition About Place-Rooted Ecological Knowledge

Inspired by ecological calendars, the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art organized the exhibition Art and Environmental Struggle to coincide with the international conference Rhythms of the Land: Indigenous Knowledge, Science, and Thriving Together in a Changing Climate, held at Cornell University in October 2021. The exhibition emphasized Indigenous ways of knowing and deployed the works of lesser-known artists from around the world to build greater understanding of and empathy for their communities' often overlooked histories and perspectives. A collaboration of three Johnson Museum curators and an expert on global Indigenous art, the exhibition presented 20 works by artists responding to environmental challenges occurring in their countries and communities and was conceived as part of the program of conference events that culminated in the dance, music, and video work Blood, Water, Earth created and performed by Santee Smith. Emphasizing impacts of colonialism, neocolonialism, geopolitical forces, and industries, the artworks reveal the consequences of environmental damage on the food production, security, cultural independence, and general well-being of communities who have contributed the least to the current crisis but feel its effects most acutely. The concept of struggle for environmental justice binds together all the visual artists represented in Art and Environmental Struggle. When viewed in the context of the ecological calendar model, the compelling ways in which visual and performing artists confront these topics through an expression of Indigenous ecological knowledge, environmental stewardship, and place-rooted traditions, present a diverse but resilient perspective and offer a methodology of hope to address this most pressing of issues.