Climate Change:Passion to Action, April

Ria Links Artists for Systems Change:

Climate Change – Passion to Action

Lalande+Doyle Exhibition Space

March 29 – May 1, 2022

A call to artists by Ria Links Artists for Systems Change (Ria Links) generated 115 posters created by local artists and children, showing positive actions everyone can take to mitigate Climate Change. As much as possible, the exhibition was created and installed with borrowed and found materials. Here, true to Ria Links impartial approach to art, a poster by a three-year-old (Save the Mermaids!) can be seen side by side with those made by professional artists. The show turns out to provide a great opportunity to connect with other artists and activists focused on Climate Change. A thank you goes out to all of you who were there and to our many special guests.

Image: Dawn Dale

Artists: Adrian Piette, Brooke Gibson, Beth Shepherd, BozicaRadjenovic, BlancheRenard Putzel, Carmel Whittle, Célinie Russell, Daniel Buckles, Dawn Dale, Denise Coker, Denise Lachance, Edgar Rene Hernandez, Freida Hjartarson, Gayle Kells, Gilles Rainville, H. Masud Taj, Jacquie Milner, Jane Macmillan, Joyce Westrop, Juliana McDonald, Karen Rasmussen, Kathy Bergquist, Linda Geisel, Lori Victor, Lubna Mousa, Magdalene Carson, Maren Kathleen Elliott, Maria Gomez Umana, Marie Arsenault, Marie-France Nitski, Martine Marie-Anne Chartrand, Nicholas Edwards, Owen Tuf, Pamela Levac, Patricia Kenny, Paul Mora, Peg Hughes, Petra Halkes, René Price, Sarah Yendall, Shirley Yik, Siobhan Locke, Stephanie Pete, Sue Shuker, Susie Fairbrother, Svetlana Swinimer, Tania Price, Valérie Chartrand, Yafa Goawily, Yvonne Wiegers.

Children and Students: Abby, Alexander, Annabelle, Beth, Caeden, Camille, Charlie, Emily, Emma, Evan, Frances, Hélie, Lukas, Maddie, Mathew, Mia, Rémi, Vincent.

As we had mere months to organize the exhibition and vernissage, it was heartening to see so many people show up for the big day, April 3, 2022! You can find some pictures by various photographers HERE. Dawn Dale wrote about and posted many of the images on Facebook and Instagram (search for #climatechangepassiontoaction)

Preceding the opening, one of the participating artists, Daniel Buckles, anthropologist, visual artist, and long-time activist in Ottawa, gave a Salon presentation underneath the stairs at the L+ D Exhibition Space. This was the first Ria Links Salon on the ground since Covid started! Daniel outlined "threats to greenspace in Ottawa" and made "the connections to developer influence, administrative incompetence, and the urgent need to change the composition and orientation of Ottawa’s City Council." He also discussed what direct action can do in neighborhoods, showing an example in Champlain Park, where he and his neighbors got together for depaving initiatives, tree planting, and creating pollinator gardens.

Image: Edgar Rene Hernandez/Dana

As many of the 115 posters in the exhibition testify, there is a passion for green spaces, biodiversity, and pollination among Ottawa artists and Daniel's talk had a receptive audience! Thanks to Edgar Rene Hernandez' recording of the event, you can now see Daniel's presentation on Cloud 11.

Daniel's talk was inspiring. It showed how passion can turn to action right here, right now, through creative thinking and hard work by a group of ordinary citizens. We asked him if he could give us a tour of Champlain Park later this year, so we can learn more from this community initiative. Happily, Daniel said yes, so stay in touch for this upcoming summer event!

As you may know, Ria Links will not ask for donations, nor do we pay our presenters. However, We encourage donating to initiatives that a presenter has organized. Find out more about the projects Daniel is involved in and consider donating to show your appreciation and support: https://www.artivismcan.net/

Besides our exhibition, there was a lot more art to see at the Shenkman that day and most of it was related to climate change in some form or other. Our opening for CC Passion to Action, was a joint event with the Ottawa-Gatineau Printmakers Connective who are showing their exhibition, Creative Reuse in Printmaking, in the Upper Foyer Entrance Hall till May 30th. During the opening, they set up a printmaking workshop where visitors tried out some of the Printmakers' creative printing methods with the use of discarded materials and objects. The table attracted many visitors. Downstairs, RiaLinks provided a painting and drawing table with a stack of Tyvek paper, the same material that was used for the posters in CC Passion to Action.

At the School of Art Gallery, it was the last day for an original textile exhibition Gear - Bettina-Matzkuhn, an artist from British Columbia who showed a highly original collection of interactive textile works made from re-purposed backpacks and other objects. We were lucky to see that exhibition just in time!

Komi Seshi, whom some of our subscribers may remember from our gatherings, had an opening In the Shenkman's Trinity Art Gallery. Pleasure of the Eyes, a colorful, energetic, and upbeat series of paintings made on re-purposed materials, can be seen here until April 26. At the opening, percussionist Balby Gadoh, translated Komi's vibrant visuals into a vibrant rhythm.

It wasn't the only music that was heard at the Shenkman that day. Outside, when visitors began to arrive for the vernissage, Just Voices, a local activist choir gave their first real-life performances since Covid. It was a happy reunion!

Inside, the lively chatting of visitors glad to see old friends, was temporarily stopped by the strong voice of activist singer and songwriter, Christophe Elie, who delivered a few of his passionate songs.

Image: Magdalene Carson.

Thanks to the volunteers from various Ottawa action groups who settled down behind their tables for the afternoon, there was plenty of time to interact with activists. The tables were set up by the Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) Ottawa, Reimagine Ottawa, Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital, Waste Watch Ottawa, and the activist choirs Just Voices, and the Raging Grannies.

A big thank you goes to Dawn Dale and Lori Victor, dedicated co-organizers from concept to installation and take-down of the exhibition, and to the Vernissage committee, Edgar Rene Hernandez, Magdalene Carson, and Patricia Reynolds, as well as Madeleine Rousseau and Beth Shepherd who represented the Ottawa Gatineau Printmakers Connective.

We will follow up with various groups and other artists, and see what we can do locally. What came up in many of the discussions during the Vernissage, is the upcoming election of a new city council in October. Let's step up! And let's make sure that this first call leads from passion to ACTION!

-Petra Halkes