150 people attended the opening of the 60,000 Artists Climate Change Exhibition at Watch This Space on Friday June 2nd to celebrate World Environment Day.
Artist were asked to create an artwork that responded to the article: Why Climate Change Needs 60,000 Artists . This article suggests that artists are an integral component of communicating the implications of climate change more effectively to the broader community.
26 artists responded with an eclectic range of works that ranged from examining the bigger picture of climate change to more tangible impacts like flooding, disappearing birds, the issues of fracking and recycling and re-using resources.
The exhibition was opened by local artist Suzi Lyon, who recently held a climate exhibition with images from her travels to Antartica, and a poem was read by Kim Zenith.
Despite the overwhelming nature of climate change and expressions of sadness and despair, what truly shone through was the resilience and care of local communities and a commitment to continue to take action for a more sustainable future.
A big thank you to all the artists who contributed and donated their artworks to support the work of Watch This Space and Arid Lands Environment Centre, and to try and communicate the implications of climate change to the broader community.