Climate Change Activists Present Massive Art and Multi-Media Installation to Connect Communities during COVID-19

Monica Jahan Bose, in collaboration with Robin Bell, presents WARMING WATERS, public art project linking communities in D.C. and Katakhali Village, Bangladesh

OXON HILL, MD, UNITED STATES, July 15, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Climate Change Activists Present Massive Art and Multi-Media Installation to Connect Communities during COVID-19 Pandemic in Georgetown, DC.

Monica Jahan Bose, in collaboration with Robin Bell, presents WARMING WATERS, a public art project linking communities in Washington D.C. and Katakhali Village, Bangladesh to create climate-themed saris and video projections in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. Working over the course of nine months (four of which were during the pandemic), Bose and her collaborators have now completed the saris for the project. During the pandemic, the participants stayed connected through video workshops to finish the 22 saris, which will be installed on the historic C&O Canal wall. Monica Jahan Bose is an artist, environmental activist, and creator of Storytelling with Saris. For several years, she has used art and experiential workshops to draw attention to the climate crisis, focusing on its greater devastation to women and communities of color across the globe.

“It has been a challenge to complete this project during the pandemic, but we are thrilled to finally present this outdoor installation as an expression of human resilience in the face of injustice. We have used technology to stay connected and will feature that in the installation. Through WARMING WATERS, Robin Bell and I highlight the climate crisis and the warming and rising waters with an installation of 22 blue and white saris and projections of the community coming together to create this project. Both climate change and COVID-19 more negatively impact people of color and those in lower-income communities.” – Monica Jahan Bose.

During this stressful time, Bose and Bell are continuing their creative work. “We will not let isolation prevent us from creating art that builds community and tackles the climate crisis. When the pandemic is over, we have much work to do, and the climate crisis needs to be addressed. This work directly speaks to challenges ahead.”– Robin Bell.

Part of Bose’s long-term climate justice project Storytelling with Saris, the colorful 18-foot-long cotton saris are covered with customized woodblock printing, hand-painted images, and writings about climate change by participants residing in Washington, D.C. and Katakhali Village. Over the last two years, Bose has led over 30 live and online workshops with nearly 300 people of all ages, including low-income residents, senior citizens, and people of color.

The project is supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Public Art Building Communities Grant Program. It is also supported by community and media partners the Mayor's Office of Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs, WPFW 89.3FM, and We Act Radio.

“As the District’s arts agency, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities is proud to support WARMING WATERS, as it directly engages DC residents in creating the art project along with the people of Bangladesh,” said Dr. Heran Sereke-Brhan, Acting Director of DCCAH. “Through the arts, this project connects communities on different continents to learn about climate change and become empowered.”

About Monica Jahan Bose

A Bangladeshi-American artist and climate activist, Bose has won numerous grants and commissions and exhibited her work extensively in the US and internationally (20 solo shows, many group exhibitions). With her participatory performances, large scale installations, and public art projects, Bose has engaged thousands of people. Her ongoing collaborative project Storytelling with Saris has traveled to ten states and six countries and been featured in numerous publications and TV and radio programs. Her work has appeared in the Miami Herald, ABC’s Good Morning Washington, the Washington Post, Art Asia Pacific, the Milwaukee Sentinel, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the Japan Times, and all major newspapers in Bangladesh. She has a BA in the Practice of Art (Painting) from Wesleyan University, a post-graduate Diploma in Art from Santiniketan, India, and a JD from Columbia Law School.

About Robin Bell

Founder of Bell Visuals, Bell is an award-winning editor, video journalist, and multimedia artist based in Washington DC. Bell works on a range of creative, political and public interest projects. Building upon his formal training as a classical printmaker, Bell developed a unique style of live video collage which he has performed at well-known venues, including The Kennedy Center, 9:30 Club, The Phillips Collection in Washington DC, Central Park Summer Stage in NYC, and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles California.
Bell was the lead video editor for PBS television show Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria. Bell’s commitment to social change through the dissemination of information via video, sound, and image is present throughout his artistic career. His incisive 2017 projection, Emoluments Welcome, garnered media attention from the BBC, CNN, New York Times, L.A. Times, Huffington Post, and Hyperallergic, among others.

EVENT DETAILS
Public Art Installation Viewing Dates: July 23-25, 2020, outdoor installation from sunrise to 10 pm daily
Projections nightly from 9 pm - 10 pm, weather permitting
Dedication: Thursday, July 23, 2020, at 8 pm, followed by projections from 9-10 pm.
Location: C&O Canal wall in Georgetown, viewing plaza 1000 Potomac St, NW, Washington, DC.

All visitors must wear masks and practice social distancing. There will be live-streaming every evening to allow safe viewing from home. Livestream at: https://www.facebook.com/StorytellingWithSaris/live

For high-resolution images © 2020 Monica Jahan Bose:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1loc0itV2BsuWGm4L8U48jDraghLL_dUu

Artist: Monica Jahan Bose, monicajahanbose@gmail.com, 202.509.6282
Marketing: Karen Baker, kb@karenrbaker.com, 202.409.7757
(Media Inquiries) Public Relations: Kelly Davidson, kelly@kellymaven.com, 301.300.4011
Artist websites: monicajahanbose.com http://bellvisuals.com/ storytellingwithsaris.com
Social Media: Instagram: @storywithsari @mjbose @bellvisuals #WarmingWaters
Twitter: @storywithsari @bellvisuals | Facebook/StorytellingWithSaris

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Kelly Davidson
KellyMaven Media
+1 301-300-4011
email us here

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