Art Works for Change launches a striking exhibition that addresses natural resource depletion and allows visitors to pledge immediate action

Oakland, CA: On Earth Day, Art Works for Change debuted “Footing the Bill: Art and Our Ecological Footprint,” a two-part digital exhibition addressing the urgent need to live sustainably within the Earth’s finite resources. By making this an online exhibition, Art Works for Change is seeking to reach as many people as possible, drive increased awareness, and inspire active engagement around environmental issues.

Part I of “Footing the Bill: Art and Our Ecological Footprint,” which opened on Earth Overshoot Day 2015 (August 13), is an ongoing, online-only exhibit featuring the works of 28 artists selected via an open call for submissions. Part II of the exhibition will launch on Earth Day 2016 (April 22), and features works from 35 artists by invitation only, including: Lori Nix, Ed Burtynsky, Chris Jordan, Alexis Rockman, Mary Mattingly, Thomas Hirschhorn, Ruben Ochoa, Guerra de la Paz and others.

Each artist in the exhibition presents a unique visual story that explores our delicate relationship with the natural world and the collective need to live within the means of one Earth. The exhibition has been created in partnership with leading environmental organizations, including Earth Day Network, Global Footprint Network, Oceana, Environmental Defense Fund and TreePeople. These partner organizations have contributed to virtual “tours” that feature their global perspective on issues of sustainability and conservation.

“Because the ultimate objective of this exhibition is to create dialogue and inspire action, we wanted to make this project more accessible than ever before by taking it online,” says Art Works for Change Executive Director, Randy Rosenberg. “We believe that these artists are telling a vital story, because while climate change affects us all, we also have an equal opportunity to act.”

Part II of the exhibition is presented in an innovative digital format that combines stunning images with unique, interactive features. The galleries create an immersive online museum experience that includes deep-zoom viewing, blog-style content, virtual tours by environmental organizations, and an integrated social media campaign that empowers individuals to take action in their own lives and share their commitments.

Each artwork in the online exhibition is paired with a series of pledges, actions that individuals can take in their own lives to reduce their environmental impact. Visitors who adopt one or more pledges will be able to share them, along with an image of the artwork that inspired them, with their social networks on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Tumblr. The exhibition will be promoted with the hashtags #EndOvershoot and #OneEarth.

Previous exhibits from Art Works for Change, such as multimedia traveling contemporary art exhibition, “Off the Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art,” have included artists such as Yoko Ono and Wangechi Mutu, among dozens of others. Off the Beaten Path partnered with nonprofits such as Amnesty International and the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), garnering international attention while touring over 6 countries.

About Art Works for Change:

Established in 2008 and incorporated in 2010, Art Works for Change strives to harness the transformative power of art to promote awareness, provoke dialogue, and inspire action. We seek to address issues of serious concern—human rights, social justice, gender equity, environmental stewardship and sustainability—in creative, inspiring, and ultimately positive ways. Our museum-quality exhibitions are amplified by local programming and global partnerships, and become a crucible where artists, museums, advocacy organizations, and local community unite as a collective force for change.

About Partnering Organizations:

Global Footprint Network is a research organization that is changing how the world manages its natural resources and responds to climate change. Since 2003, they’ve engaged with more than 50 nations, 30 cities, and 70 global partners to deliver scientific insights that have driven high-impact policy and investment decisions. With their network, they’re creating a future where all of us can thrive within our planet’s limits.

Earth Day Network works year-round with thousands of partners worldwide to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement.  Earth Day Network leads environmental campaigns, promotes green economic policies, educates the public and energizes communities to secure a healthy future for themselves and their children.

Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization focused solely on ocean conservation. With its science-based campaigns, Oceana seeks to win policy victories that can restore ocean biodiversity and ensure that the oceans are abundant and can feed hundreds of millions of people.

Environmental Defense Fund’s mission is to preserve the natural systems on which all life depends. Guided by science and economics, Environmental Defense Fund finds practical and lasting solutions to the most serious environmental problems.

TreePeople inspires, engages and supports people to take responsibility for the urban environment and to share the process as a model for the world. TreePeople works with the people of Los Angeles to plant and care for trees, harvest the rain, and renew depleted landscapes, creating a greener, shadier and more water-secure city at homes, neighborhoods, schools and in the local mountains.

For more information, please visit www.artworksforchange.org.