Community Work
Community work for Intersecting Ecologies has three branches:
leading collage portraiture workshops to explore sense of place
qualitative research, which involves interviewing residents of coastal communities in Maine and Greenland
organizing walks to sites of ecological significance
The most recent arts-based community work took place in Searsport, Maine and focused on Sears Island, which is a microcosm of the complexity of mitigating climate change. The proposed development of Sears Island for wind turbine assembly–which would involve permanently impacting delicate ecosystems to create space for green energy production–has driven a wedge between individuals and groups who might otherwise be allies. This makes dialogue both essential and complex and requires fresh approaches to break down perceived certainties.
A retreat for a diverse group of participants was offered in conjunction with the Intersecting Ecologies exhibit. The retreat included a walk on Sears Island, followed by a collage workshop focusing on the island and its history. Sears Island is one of the largest undeveloped islands on the Eastern Seaboard and is known as Wahsumkik or shining beach by the Wabanaki tribes of Northern New England. The retreat aimed to broaden participation in discussions about conservation initiatives and industrial development on the island, including the proposed offshore wind port.
Additionally, interviews, collage workshops and walks were led on Long Island, Maine and in Qassiarsuk and Qaqortoq, South Greenland.
