Memorial Day News for Women Mind the Water
Women Mind the Water Artivist Series podcast is breaking new ground! We’ve our last three interviews we’ve added three new international destinations: New Brunswick, Canada; New Zealand, and Kenya. In the 45 artivist interviews we’ve spoken with guests from US, Canada, Indonesia, England, France, Germany, Fiji, the Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand and Kenya. As several of our guests have been to Antarctica, it seems the only continent we still need to make a showing in is South America.
Three New Podcast Guests
What else is new? Well, as I mentioned, there are three new podcasts. Marie Maltais, the Director of the Art Center at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, Canada, discusses the impact of technology on the art world. The Art Centre she oversees recently released an app that takes users on a global tour of issues impacting the ocean. Jayshree Patel is a children's book author. Jayshree is originally from New Zealand. Now she lives in Texas. The relocation is what inspired Jayshree to write One drop, endless ripples a book told from the perspective of a drop of water. The story is meant to transport children on their own journey and also show them how precious a resource water is. The most recent podcast release features Erin Smith, CEO of Ocean Sole, a social enterprise that upcycles flip-flops. If you're like me you will be amazed to learn that 100s of thousands of flip flops wash ashore in Kenya annually. You’ll also love what the talented artisans of Ocean Sole do with the flip flops. You’d probably never know that the colorful animal sculptures are actually made from old shoes. Erin talks about the source of the flip flop debris and the successful model Ocean Sole has created for cleaning up ocean trash, and transforming the trash into colorful sculptures, high fashion clothes, and mattresses. Ocean Sole non-profit model provides the local Kenyan community with sustainable employment.
New interviews are coming soon. One is with Martina Wing who is a diver and manta ray advocate in Hawaii. Another is Maine artist Kim Bernard who is currently focusing on upcycling plastic waste into sculptural installations. She has developed a mobile device, the PopUpCycler. She takes it to communities and shows them how to turn plastic waste into sculpture. Also coming soon is a news piece about the global ghost gear initiative. Ghost gear is a worldwide problem that hampers commercial fishing and marine transport and hurts and kills all kinds of marine life.
Two New Stories
In the news section of the Women Mind the Water website you’ll find two new stories: Why Save Whales? And Los Angeles: managing societal issues and implications for combating climate change. Why save whales? Offers some unexpected answers to the question. For example, did you know that whales play a vital role in the well-being of the planet? In fact, they contribute to the production of the oxygen we breathe, to the sequestration of carbon that otherwise would increase the rate of global warming, and to the economy of many coastal communities worldwide. The piece about Los Angeles was inspired by a recent visit. It's a hard look at a few of the issues that face the city and California, their success in tackling them, and what it means for our country.
An Invitation to a Special Event
Lots more great stuff on the way. And in October Women Mind the Water will be hosting the I heART ocean in Portland, Maine. The event will feature ocean-inspired art, interviews with artivists, and a premiere collaborative performance of dance by the NWD Project with musical accompaniment by Halcyon, and a specially created piece by me. So sign up for our newsletter at Women Mind the Water and tune in to our podcasts available in audio and video formats.
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