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Meet the women-led eco-artists group for environmental change

Meet the women-led eco-artists group for environmental change

Studio+art+sculpture+student+Ember+De+Boer+poses+for+a+portrait+on+April+8%2C+2022+at+the+arts+and+sculptures+lab+at+Sacramento+State.+%E2%80%9CThe+environment+is+something+my+brain+can+wrap+around+and+keep+working+on%2C%E2%80%9D+De+Boer+said.+

The Women Eco Artists Dialog stated it’s more than making art from waste.

Studio+art+sculpture+student+Ember+De+Boer+poses+for+a+portrait+on+April+8%2C+2022+at+the+arts+and+sculptures+lab+at+Sacramento+State.+%E2%80%9CThe+environment+is+something+my+brain+can+wrap+around+and+keep+working+on%2C%E2%80%9D+De+Boer+said.+

Hugo Quintanilla

Ember De Boer, a studio art sculpture student poses for a photograph at the arts & sculptures laboratory at Sacramento State on April 8, 20,22. De Boer stated, “The environment is something my mind can wrap around and continue working on.”

Ember de Boer, a Sacramento State art major, moved to California from Kansas City in order to continue her artistic expressions. De Boer shared that her uncle encouraged Ember to join a group that was aligned with her artistic mission during her senior year.

Women Eco Artists Dialog, also known as WEAD, is an international organization based in Oakland, CA that focuses on developing women’s unique perspectives through ecological and social art, according to its members. WEAD members believe the organization supports this development by helping artists to connect with one another, providing them with resources and opening exhibitions that allow them to display their art.

While artists may express their creativity through music or painting, the women of WEAD find their art to be quite different. WEAD artists express their creativity through recycling and being environmentally friendly.

It’s been a long journey coming to California, seeing the Oakland art, hearing allegories and stories from my uncle and then him just telling me to get involved, De Boer said. It is so simple to become a member. However, it is so satisfying to have this personal reason to want to work together and join something.

Jo Hanson, Susan Leibovitz Steinman, and Estelle Akamine founded WEAD in 1996. The vision shared by the three women was to create opportunities for ecoartists through programs and exhibits.

They met at each other’s houses in the beginning and compiled the paper directories at Steinmans house. Mary White, codirector, stated that a WEAD office in Oakland was established later.

Jo Hanson (one of the founders Women Eco Artists Dialog) sweeps in an old archive photo from 1970s. WEAD was established in Oakland in 1996 to present ecoarts programs and exhibits to artists. Photo courtesy Jane Chin Davidson

It’s a long-standing, female-identified coalition made up of volunteers. WEAD editorial board memberJane Chin Davidson spoke out. They took this initiative in order to combat climate change as well as environmental pollution.

De Boer mentioned that she hopes to collaborate with WEAD in the future, not only during her career with them but also as an artist.

De Boer stated she believes her work and mindset are aligned with the organization’s and that the environment is always at the heart of her work.

Deconstruction of previously used items and then reassembling themit’s just shown up in my work even when I was a painter before I started doing sculptures, De Boer said.

De Boer stated she looks forward to mentoring artists and WEAD members, as it is a two-way relationship. She is aware that they will not only be mentors but also artists. She will mentor her and teach her, but they’ll also learn from her beliefs and knowledge.

According to Davidson one of WEADs’ goals is to make it easier to connect internationally with artists working on social justice and ecological issues.

Davidson stated that she hopes the organization will be a bridge for artists to connect and share their artistic skills to combat social justice issues.

Sophie Schultze Allen became acquainted with WEAD while attending Laney College in Oakland (California), where her father introduced her to the ecoarts subjects course.

Schultze Allen said that WEAD is in some way connected to this course.

Schultze Alleen says that she was able to work with WEAD during this course, which enabled her to feel closer to the environment and helped her create visual art as well as prints.

Ember De Boer, a studio art sculpture student poses for a photograph at the arts & sculptures laboratory at Sacramento State on April 8, 20,22. De Boer said that the environment is something that my brain can wrap around and continue working on. (Hugo Quintanilla)

Schultze, De Boer, and other members WEAD stated that they are happy to use art to comment and show how to be more aware of the environment.

The environment is something my brain can wrap around and keep working on, De Boer said.As someone who has a big heart, that’s my chosen way to affect change.

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