MESA 30+1
Curation250, Lowell, MA
The 30th anniversary of the enactment of the MA Endangered Species Act was in 2020. This body of work is a celebration of this bold piece of legislation formed in a zeitgeist of change and hope. For those of us who grew up with these laws already firmly in place, it’s hard for us to understand how truly revolutionary they were. In a country built by unfettered capitalism, these laws pushed back against one of the most revered and fiercely protected ideas ever to exist in human society. They codified the idea that Americans hold values beyond the reach of capitalism and that these values are just as important, if not more-so, than the ability to extract wealth and resources from the environment with impunity.
The main installation of the show is called “Endangered Species” and features a gouache painting of every endangered species on the MA Endangered Species List painted on pages of a report called “State of the World” published the year the List was enacted. The drawing are categorized by the type of species (mammal, plant, fish, etc.) to give the viewer a sense of which class of life is the most threatened in Massachusetts.
Participants were encouraged to buy individual drawings, which entitled them to vote on one of three environmental non-profits to donate half of the price to as a way of encouraging activism.
This work is also an opportunity to meet some of these other local species face-to-face. We are often exposed to news and information about species in peril in far away places, but many people in Massachusetts are not aware that there are over 400 native plant and animal species that are currently protected under our local version of the ESA. This new work highlights species such as the Eastern hog-nosed snake, the Slender clearwing moth, and the Eastern whipoorwill. All of these species once had a wider range in Massachusetts, but due to a variety of pressures, have lost significant ground in our state over the last 30 years. I hope to introduce viewers to a handful of these unique and vital species and spark an interest in learning more about their secret lives and how to make sure they remain here for many years to come.
SLENDER CLEARWING SPHINX MOTH // Mixed Media // 38x30x4” // 2021
Endangered Species // Dimensions Vary // Gouache on Paper // 2021
Eastern Whip-Poor-Will // Mixed Media // 64x41x3” // 2021
Hog-nosed Snake // MIXED MEDIA // 31x50” // 2021Finally, as a way to foster an ongoing conversation between art and science, we held a lecture where I spoke about the work in the show followed by presentations from several scientists from partner organizations including MassWildlife and Creature Conserve.
For more information on the organizations this show supported, please visit their websites: