The Earth Speaks V

For the past five years, The Pocono Arts Council in Stroudsburg, PA has hosted The Earth Speaks, a Juried Exhibition on the Environmental Crisis.  This year I entered my plastic jellyfish for consideration, and I was thrilled to be accepted and to win The Juror's Choice Award for my work.

I wasn't able to make it to the reception, which was held at Dunning Art Gallery at Northampton Community College, Monroe Campus (Tannersville, PA), but I was glad to be part of this very important exhibition.

Here is the statement that accompanied my work:

"This piece, Jelly Nation, was created entirely with a human-made source of ocean pollution – single-use plastic bags. In designing this work, my goal was to raise awareness of the current health of marine life on our planet.  About one trillion single-use plastic bags are used annually across the globe. That’s nearly 2 million every minute.  They end up floating in oceans where turtles, albatross and other sea creatures mistake them for jellyfish.  Also, since jellyfish thrive in environments where overfishing, rising water temperatures and ocean acidification are prevalent, the future of our ocean’s biodiversity is further at risk.  The jellyfish in this piece were constructed using freeform crochet techniques.  It is my hope that these colorful, lyrical creatures call to mind the beauty and fragility of our underwater ecosystem, one that needs our attention and protection in order to survive."

You can read more about the exhibition here (copied from Pocono Arts Council Newsletter, Volume 30, Number 5):


“The Earth Speaks V: A Juried Exhibition on the Environmental Crisis,” is on exhibit in The Dunning
Gallery at NCC Monroe from April 6-May 23, 2019. The Earth Speaks is an artist’s means of capturing their concern regarding the climate crisis and how it is affects our planet, as well as an opportunity to offer possible solutions.

Forty artists submitted 70 pieces to be juried. 50 works were selected to be included in the show from
artists residing in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.  Awards were granted in the following categories to those encapsulating the environmental crisis theme:
Juror’s Choice Award: “Jelly Nation,” Marsha Borden, Guilford, CT;  Kay & Girard Lichty Climate Crisis Award: “A Voter’s Advertisement,” Brianna Cook, Tannersville, PA; Otto Grever Printmaking Award: “Desert Sea I,” Scott Magin, New York City, NY;  3-D Award: “PLAN{et} B Ain’t Pretty,” Susan O’Hanlon, Downingtown, PA;  2-D Award: “Fracking-Marcellus Shale,” Mary Waltham, Princeton, NJ; Photography Award: “Make America Gasp Again,” Jack Swersie, Reeders, PA; ARTSPACE Gallery Student Award: “Plady” and “Blue Ocean,” Maxine Leu, SUNY New Paltz, NY; Origins Gallery Award: “Dead Air,” Matthew Casella, East Stroudsburg, PA; Honorable Mention: “Frog Queen,” Ian Leiva, East Stroudsburg, PA,

Juror for the show was Harry C Tabak: Tabak’s early work reflects his bond to nature through his
landscape paintings. Social commentary followed with an emphasis on environmental issues for nearly two decades.

Thanks for reading!