What is environmental justice? What is fine Art? How do these two things work together to empower youth, community and the world abroad? Eye believe fine art is a singular construct made because it must be made, not just to fill a need in any particular market. Eye also, believe environmental justice is not just a slogan or metaphor but a right to ensure that the next generation inherits a healthy planet.


In response to the rapidly changing global crises, eye thought it was long overdue to address some of the more urgent issues from a fine artistic urban perspective. After posing the question “What threatens your environment”, to a group of more than fifteen inner-city children of varied backgrounds, ages and cultures from Richmond, CA and surrounding communities, eye received the same answer. Violence!


Not at all shocked by the response, eye understood that if eye started to talk about global warming and the dangers it presents, and how art could help change the way we see it, eye would be talking at and not with this young audience. So instead eye listened, with the goal of mapping out a visual story line that would ultimately become a blueprint for urban environmental artist activism.


Before these youth could truly become motivated and excited about creating Art and being a part of a global movement towards environmental change, like starvation and disease in Africa or protecting the Rain Forest, Polar Bears and Ice caps, we must first deal with the issues they face at home. I used Art as the tool to not only spark creativity and conversation but to help the Individual making the Art deal with his or her own individual fears. Art Heals.


Art and Social Change is a funny thing….once you’ve done it you can’t take it back. By reflecting on when you started, how you thought, how you felt and then the process of just how much you can grow and evolve in a short span of time, does something to the Artistic creator. It gives that Individual a sense of value that plays an important role in building ones self-esteem. It gives a voice.


When my students saw firsthand, that gang violence in Richmond, CA is no different than the violence in the Middle East or poor drinking water in the Bay isn’t any different than that abroad, or how the severity of today’s natural disasters are not unique to just this country, the light came on. Once that happens in a young person’s mind, it’s hard, if at all possible to turn it off.


They began to realize they are a part of a global community. This becomes the opportunity, the bridge that promises insight from a very different perspective, which ultimately leads to a uniquely thought out and timely body of work.


The goal for this body of work is to re-ignite the fire in the activism doldrums, visually doing away with that “we’ve heard it all before” attitude and to refocus artist, art collectors, art patrons and exhibition spaces on the power of art and its ability to spark change! And bring about real tangible action and not just talk, simply by being the visual witness.


Eye, extend a Heart-felt, sincere invitation to all viewers to take a little time and stroll with me through My Global Hood. Eye, welcome you! Then ask yourself the question can you see what Eye see?


ArtsChange is proud to present the exhibitions Welcome to My Global Hood - What is Environmental Justice? at the Richmond Health Center and the RYSE youth center in Richmond. The exhibitions are the culmination of a seven month long artist residency project with renowned artist, Milton Bowens and fifteen Richmond youth from various Richmond schools and youth programs.


Bowens and the youth met bi-weekly at the RYSE youth center in Richmond where the environmental curriculum of Ma’at Youth Academy laid the foundation for the teaching and learning of complex science-based approaches to environmental justice. Community environmental activists including experts such as Andrés Soto of West County HEAL Collaborative at Neighborhood House of North Richmond additionally supported the classroom sessions. The art and environmental justice workshop employed hands on art making to dissect layered concepts of environmental justice; promote understanding, and stewardship of local resources and activism among Richmond youth; and illuminate the process of social analysis and public presentation for the group.


During this time, Bowens listened intently to the youth, to the presentations by environmental activists visiting his classroom and conducted his own research in order to create a new body of artwork. An intergenerational artistic exchange was occurring in the classroom. Milton was learning from his students as they learned from him.


The results of their efforts are the works represented in the exhibition, which transforms permanently the next generation’s understanding of environmental justice. For them, the art making process represents an opportunity to place themselves in the center of the formulation of a world they will inherit. With this growing sense of agency their readings of environmental crises move beyond political contingency to deliberate artistic interventions that include self in community, and community in world as the primary source for hope in the process of global rehabilitation.


- Milton 510 Bowens


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