Arts and Sustainability, Part 2: The Creative

During our first month of the Executive Master of Natural Resources (XMNR) program at Virginia Tech, we were given two books - Leadership for Sustainability: Strategies for Tackling Wicked Problems and Social Science Theory for Environmental Sustainability that not only changed my way of thinking, but also encouraged my intuition. In uncovering how artistic practice can contribute and promote sustainability in all its various forms, these books offered me a first glimpse into how art had a definite seat at the table in communities of practice and learning, through storytelling.

“It is not an exaggeration to say that stories change the world” begins the Storytelling chapter of Leadership for Sustainability. “The cognitive ability to share an abstraction facilitates cooperation among humans in large numbers, much larger than just families and tribes…. Stories perform several functions that promote direction, alignment, and commitment (DAC) among people who are otherwise widely distributed and disconnected.”

But how do we avoid the politicization of sustainability narratives in the arts? Enter XMNR Faculty Professor Marc Stern. “...Environmental problems are people problems, and simple straightforward fixes rarely suffice…” Marc explains that common cognitive biases come from firsthand experiences that can amplify our perceptions and also that beliefs are not typically swayed by abstract statistics alone. “Use vivid storytelling to create a memorable experience that will inform future thinking… Learn to tell simple, accurate, and compelling stories.”

The art forms I mentioned in my previous article, Arts and Sustainability, Part 1: The Performer, and countless others, may be some of the best settings to explore issues through memorable experiences, to "feel" sustainability in ways that will motivate awareness and action. While I am enrolled at Virginia Tech, I want to spend some time getting to know practicing artists that are right on my doorstep and how they balance the world of art and climate change. I sat down with animation filmmaker, Sarah Downer, and conductor/composer, Dwight Bigler, who are both also professionals at Virginia Tech and who explained why they are passionate about approaching topics of climate through their chosen art form.

Sarah Downer: Animation Filmmaker

“One thing I’m passionate about is telling people’s stories - especially those from underrepresented communities. It’s often poor and rural populations that bear the brunt of ecological and environmental issues, yet their voices are rarely heard. Their stories don’t always make it to the wider audiences they deserve. Being from Appalachia, my appreciation of the strength of local solutions has deepened and, therefore, the power of common understanding. I want others to be able to feel that connection of shared life experiences with individuals and communities facing challenges all over the world. Through animation storytelling, I want to give these kinds of narratives the platform they deserve. By showing the intricate ties between people and the places they call home, I hope to spark a deeper appreciation for the natural world and the ways we can all work to protect it. Storytelling has the power to educate, connect, and shift how we see the world. Whether it’s through film, fostering conversations, or leading by example, I want to help people see sustainability not as a sacrifice or a controversial word, but as an opportunity to be good stewards of our world and build a better, more resilient future.”

Dwight Bigler: Composer and Choir Director at Virginia Tech

“One of the things I love about community choirs is that it brings people together. After I composed Mosaic for Earth, I collaborated with an alto in the Blacksburg Master Chorale, Dr. Annie Pierce, who specializes in sustainable construction. She coordinated and assembled three wonderful panel discussions, bringing community members and experts together from various fields. We had community experts, including the recycling leader here in Blacksburg who spoke to us about how the town carries out those measures, as well as experts in plastics, transportation, architecture, and construction. These outreach events happened before and after the world premiere of Mosaic for Earth, with the final event focusing on helping people make their own sustainability plans. As we made these little connections, it was like a little fire that just continued to spread in a good way.

I was given permission to use excerpts from Eric Reese’s book, Lost Mountain, in my libretto. That book documents the destruction of a 300-million-year-old Appalachian mountain in just one year, and the impact of the extraction process. Most of the wealth goes out of state, and local residents have to deal with the health impacts - the rising cancer rates, the birth defects, and damaged water resources. To help emphasize this in our performances, David Franusich  designed projections that surrounded the performers on stage. He created stunning images of the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains and then juxtaposed those with very stark images of mountaintop removal strip mining.

Sometimes we can feel kind of helpless when facing these situations, wondering what we can do. Music is so effective at connecting to our spirit and to our emotions. It’s practiced everywhere from church services to football games at Virginia Tech. At the beginning of the game, they get sixty thousand fans jumping and screaming and singing in unison – music and rhythm is the only way to do that! Mosaic for Earth reminds us of the beauty of nature, but celebrates those texts by exploring why we need to be more concerned about the world around us.”

It’s clear after these interviews why terms such as “sustainability” and “the climate emergency” sometimes backfire without situated context. These artists, perhaps unknowingly, applied the XMNR program’s practice to “lead from where they are'', holding space for important sustainability topics by giving them meaning and application. The climate crisis touches us all, so we need to lead from where we are to give sustainability a face, a name, a location, and a story, and artistic practice can help us translate larger terms into relatable action. Art is about communication, translating as it transmits, humanizing, incentivising and collectivizing difficult and complex facts into feeling, embodied understanding, and change. But the world of art is not an innocent place. The carrying out of art and theater is a carrying out of systems, and the continuation of the way we sustain and practice art is a reflection that implies how we view the world. Stay tuned for more on that in my next blog post!