Digital Exhibition Continues Exploration of Humanity's Environmental Impact

Press Release (ePRNews.com) - OAKLAND, Calif. - Apr 20, 2017 - Following its recent feature in the New York Times, Art Works for Change continues its efforts to inspire dialogue and effect change through contemporary art in its 2nd Annual Earth Day exhibition, “Footing the Bill: Art and Our Ecological Footprint.” The exhibition takes on heightened importance today, as the current administration threatens to derail global efforts to address climate change and reverse fifty years of progress on environmental issues in the United States.

In this year’s installment of the online-only exhibition, Art Works for Change has added works by renowned artists Fred Tomaselli and Cai Guo-Qiang, as well as new content from Earth Day Network, Global Footprint Network, Oceana, and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a new partner featured in the project for 2017. In addition, through a new partnership with Google Cultural Institute, selections from the exhibition will be showcased in four online exhibits hosted by Google Arts & Culture beginning April 15, 2017.

First introduced on Earth Overshoot Day 2015, “Footing the Bill: Art and Our Ecological Footprint” is an immersive online museum experience with deep-zoom viewing of stunning images, blog-style content, and virtual tours featuring works from 37 invitation-only artists, including: Lori Nix, Ed Burtynsky, Alexis Rockman, Mary Mattingly, Thomas Hirschhorn, Fred Tomaselli, and Cai Guo-Qiang. Each artist in the exhibition presents a unique visual story of our delicate relationship with the natural world.

The exhibition also features virtual “tours” created in partnership with some of the world’s leading environmental organizations, offering their global perspective on issues of sustainability and conservation.

Each artwork in the exhibition is paired with a series of pledges that encourage individuals to take action in their own lives to reduce their environmental impact. Visitors can adopt one or more pledges that they can share, along with an image of the artwork that inspired them, on Facebook, Twitter (#EndOvershoot and #OneEarth), Google+, and Tumblr.

“Because the ultimate objective of this exhibition is to create dialogue and inspire action, we wanted to make this project more accessible than ever before by taking it online,” said Randy Rosenberg, Art Works for Change Executive Director. “We believe that these artists are telling a vital story, because while climate change affects us all, we also have an equal opportunity to act.”

“Footing the Bill: Art and Our Ecological Footprint” addresses the urgent need to live sustainably within the Earth’s finite resources, and is part of the organization’s ongoing effort to increase awareness and inspire active engagement around environmental issues.

View Exhibition “Footing the Bill: Art and Our Ecological Footprint”: http://www.artworksforchange.org/footing-the-bill/

Read New York Times feature: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/arts/design/museums-in…

About Art Works for Change:

Established in 2008 and incorporated in 2010, Art Works for Change strives to harness the transformative power of art to promote awareness, provoke dialogue, and inspire action. We seek to address issues of serious concern—human rights, social justice, gender equity, environmental stewardship, and sustainability—in creative, inspiring, and ultimately positive ways. Our museum-quality exhibitions are amplified by local programming and global partnerships, and become a crucible where artists, museums, advocacy organizations, and local community unite as a collective force for change.

For more information, please visit www.artworksforchange.org.

About Partnering Organizations:

Earth Day Network works year-round with thousands of partners worldwide to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement.  Earth Day Network leads environmental campaigns, promotes green economic policies, educates the public and energizes communities to secure a healthy future for themselves and their children.

Global Footprint Network is a research organization that is changing how the world manages its natural resources and responds to climate change. Since 2003, they’ve engaged with more than 50 nations, 30 cities, and 70 global partners to deliver scientific insights that have driven high-impact policy and investment decisions. With their network, they’re creating a future where all of us can thrive within our planet’s limits.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2 million members and online activists. Since 1970, their lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world’s natural resources, public health, and the environment.

Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation. With its science-based campaigns, Oceana seeks to win policy victories that can restore ocean biodiversity and ensure that the oceans are abundant and can feed hundreds of millions of people.