Five years ago, like a bolt of lightning, I was struck by a realization that changed my life and my career: what if one reason we aren’t making quick progress on climate change is because of the way the issue has been visualized (or not) across media and the arts? As a former broadcast news producer and art curator, I cannot imagine a better place to puzzle through this idea than at USC. In addition to my primary role as Director of the Center for Climate Journalism and Communication, I am a curator for the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability. It is in this second role that I have a couple of projects coming up in which I would like to invite you to come by, say hi, and get involved.
First up, the opening of the USC Roski MFA exhibition of artist Callianne Jones. I met Jones last year through Jessica Dutton, Executive Director at the Wrigley Institute, who welcomed Callianne on board as a 2024 artist-in-residence. During her residency with Wrigley, Callianne worked with oil-tainted water samples collected by Wrigley Institute microbiologist JuliAnn Panehal to process photographs of the Southern California regions where those samples were collected. The result of the residency, and more broadly, her time in the MFA program, is a body of work that at once centers and skewers the imagination of the American West. I hope you will come see the exhibition (and me… I curated Callianne’s show) Thursday night. No need to RSVP. Just show up!
USC Roski Graduate Gallery
1262 Palmetto St, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Thursday, January 30
6 – 9pm
What a pleasure and an honor to work with artists at different stages of their careers. USC Roski grad Carolina Caycedo’s work has been exhibited and collected by major museums globally and now we are so fortunate to host a USC Visions and Voices project with her at the university coinciding with her Getty PST Art show at VPAM. Mark your calendars for the morning and early afternoon of Saturday, March 1 when Carolina, a group of community leaders from Latin America, and the public (hopefully including you!) will come together to learn how to support a transition away from fossil fuels that uplifts all people, and to create an artwork in which participants will spell out with their bodies “Transición Justa Ahora” and “Just Transition Now”. I’ll share more info on sign ups for that program soon. I expect this to be a really powerful experience and a truly unique opportunity to connect with people on the ground who are doing vital work to support their communities. Until then, I hope to see you on Thursday evening!
Allison Agsten is the director of the Center for Climate Journalism and Communication.
