Women Mind the Water: Recent Episodes
Women Mind the Water
The Women Mind the Water podcast engages artists in conversation about their work and explores their connection with the ocean and how it influences their art.
Bonnie Blaylock, author of historical novel The Water Women, is the latest guest on Wo(men) Mind the Water Artivist Series. This engaging story explores the bonds between mothers and daughters who weave golden threads from the beards of mussels. Amazingly, the craft is real and has occurred in Sardinia for generations!
https://womenmindthewater.com/artivist-series/bonnie-blaylock
Maya van Rossum is the Delaware Riverkeeper, founder of Green Amendments for the Generations, author of The Green Amendment: The People's Fight to Secure a Clean, Safe, and Healthy Environment and a lawyer. She has devoted her energies to securing that every state has a Green Amendment, an amendment that assures our rights to a healthy environment by enshrining them in a state's constitution.
Kaileia Duriano is an Indigenous Hawaiian trained in both Hawaiian cultural practices and academic marine biology. She discusses the differences between Indigenous and academic practices and what needs to be done to maintain Hawaii's natural beauty and abundance.
ISusan Gardner is the Director of the Ecosystems Division for the United Nations Environment Program. Susan Gardner is based in East Africa. She grew up in the United States where she learned to scuba dive. After graduate school, she worked in a remote fishing village on the Pacific coast of Mexico studying sea turtles. She learned in that experience what it means to have people and economies and livelihoods as part of the equation for drawing on solutions. And that was enormously impactful for setting the trajectory for the rest of my career and her perspective today. Susan believes that it is vital to make connections between science, people, and policymakers, and that more women need to be involved in the process.
Artistic entrepreneur Parisa Golchoubian is a global nomad. She creates art, represents other artists, and has tech startup designed to solve marine plastic pollution. She talks about art, storytelling, AI, and technology.
Angèle Etoundi Essamba, proclaimed one of the most accomplished African female photographers of her generation, is the latest guest on Wo(men) Mind the Water Artivist Series podcast (womenmindthewater.com). She discusses how her camera shares stories of the women she photographs. Among other things we explore in some detail the Women of Water series which was originally published as a hardcover book. It’s focus is Ganvié, a lake village in the Benin Republic, a country in West Africa. The town was created by people who were trying to avoid the slave trade. The only means of transportation to and from the village is by boat.
Amanda Leland, Executive Director Environmental Defense Fund and author Sea Change, a true story about unlikely allies in pursuit of achieving sustainable fisheries is the latest guest on Wo(men) Mind the Water. The book is a narrative of a real Gulf Coast fisherman and Amanda’s pursuit to help find a path forward that would enable fishermen to keep fishing and have a healthy, vibrant ocean for all of us. It’s a worthwhile read for those who would enjoy a hopeful story about finding sustainable solutions for US fisheries and fisher folk. Amanda talks about how the ocean was central to her youth and college, her post grad work and her time with the EDF. She also discusses her book. https://womenmindthewater.com/featured-guests
Sophie Maycock, shark research/conservationist, website SharkSpeak, author Shark: The illustrated biography, guest Wo(men) Mind the Water Artivist Series podcast on womenmindthewater.com, UK representative Sharks Educational Institute.
Stephanie Elzondo Griest, professor of Creative Nonfiction UNC Chapel Hill, author six books has traveled to 50 countries & 49 states collecting material for her stories. On Women Mind the Water Artivist Series podcast she talks about her stories, women interviewees, and the connection between water and people, about the Mohawk Akwesasne on the St. Lawrence and Mexicans on the Rio Grande River.
Shelby Thomas, founder of Ocean Rescue Alliance International, works to restore marine ecosystems with innovative, reef restoration projects. Shelby is a marine scientist, a passionate ocean conservationist, and an advocate for artists. Shelby’s non-profit constructs artificial reefs that are living sculptures. It’s 1000 Mermaids Project has installed more than 300 modules, some of them in the form of mermaids, in the waters off Southern Florida. These artificial reefs are ideal spots not only for coral restoration and marine life but also for research and tourism. Shelby is the latest guest on the Wo(men) Mind the Water Artivist Series on womenmindthewater.com.
Arielle Moody worked in the beauty industry for more than 15 years, before she started her own company. Mama Sol was a collaboration between three women who wanted to protect themselves, their children, and the planet from the harmful petrochemicals found in many commercially available sunscreens. Mama Sol’s tagline is: “For all mamas, Mother Earth included.” In addition to protecting the skin from the harmful rays of the sun, the sunscreens are also less harmful to coral reefs. Important because it has been estimated, that roughly one fifth of the world’s coral have died in the past three years.
She grew up playing sports and was always outside. She recognizes that she spent too much time in the sun. When Arielle was five months pregnant with her first son, she began researching sunscreen ingredients that she should avoid during pregnancy and nursing. The list was long. Oxybenzone and octinoxate were at the top of the list. She started buying dozens of mineral sunscreens and couldn’t find one that she loved. She hired a chemist to create something she would want to use, feel safe using and look forward to using.
On the podcast, Arielle talks about how she got into the cosmetics industry, the unspoken hazards in cosmetic products, and clean cosmetics. She also talks about the negative impacts of chemical sunscreens on coral reefs.
Indira Brook, the latest guest on the Wo(men) Mind the Water Artivist Series podcast, is a manager at Roatán Marine Park. The marine park is a non-profit dedicated to the protection of the Caribbean island located about 40 miles off the northern coast of Honduras. Indira’s work for the Roatán Marine Park involves working with people to protect coral reefs, mangroves and other marine species. Roatán’s coral reefs are second only in size to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Indira is currently working with others to institute an island-wide ban of sunscreens containing petrochemicals. Coral bleaching and deformity in the development of fish are attributable to the petrochemicals in sunscreen. (https://womenmindthewater.com/featured-guests)
Indira talks about growing up on the Caribbean Island of Roatán. While the island is surrounded by a rich marine ecosystem, some on the island are unfamiliar with this productive ecosystem. Some residents still struggle for access to water, clean water and sanitation. Before assuming her job at Roatán Marine Park, a job that involves working with people to protect coral reefs, mangroves and other marine species, Indira left the island to attend college on the mainland. In her work, Indira works both with islanders and the many tourists who arrive, mostly by cruise ship, on an annual basis. One of the latest initiatives that Indira is working on is a ban of sunscreens containing petrochemicals.
Lisa Tossey is a storyteller and communications specialist. Lisa works as a communications specialist for Global Fishing Watch, a nonprofit that uses cutting edge technology to transform data into information that encourages fair and sustainable use of ocean resources. Lisa feels very fortunate to be working with a creative and resourceful team. They provide an interface for the public to be able to assess complex data in a digestible and engaging way. They also present data for journalists in a way they can go in and look at complicated aspects related to issues related to fishing on the high seas. Global Fishing Watch's goals may be ambitious but the team are able to accomplish them due to the incredible people on the team. In addition to managing the team, Lisa is also an artist in her own right. On this episode we talk about her work with Global Fishing Watch and her personal artistic expression. We also discuss ways to deal with environmental anxiety.
At the age of 22, she was living in Louisiana, when the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded. The Deepwater Horizon explosion remains the largest accidental oil spill in history. The impact from the disaster became the impetus for nine years of research that resulted in her new novel Pearce Oysters. The novel is an intimate look at how the oil spill impacted folks who make their livelihoods, fishing on the very real Caminada Bay.
Joselyn talks about how she came to be in Louisiana in 2010, what sparked her interest in oyster farming, and how she went about writing her novel. She provides an overview of oysters and farming them. We also discuss how she went about writing her novel, from story idea to finding the best approach.
On the Wo(men) Mind the Water Artivist Series on Wo(men) Mind the Water dot com, I spoke with Seth Glier. Seth is a Massachusetts-based musical artist who gets inspiration from the natural world. Seth says that the ocean brings him comfort and it provides a narrative for his music. He has worked as a producer, music director, and studio musician AND collaborated with such renown musical artists as Tom Rush, Nick Carter, and Cyndi Lauper. Seth has been nominated for a Grammy and is a five-time Independent Music Award winner.
Seth uses memories about the natural world to create his music and the songs on his latest album titled Everything include practical solutions for the climate crisis. His music reminds us that we have the ability to positively influence the world.
Manuela Zoninsein is a Brazilian-American with vivid memories of time spent on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. A graduate of the MIT-Sloan Executive MBA program, she has been designing and building a 21st century hydration system that's capable of sanitizing, refilling and dispensing beverage containers from a single vending machine. Her company, Kadeya, is on a mission to replace the single-use plastic bottle problem. It has set its goals high as it aims to be an important factor in addressing the plastic pollution crisis and reducing carbon dioxide by hundreds of millions of tons annually. Manuela talks about Rio, her work as a journalist in China, and the experiences that led her to become a thought leader in the work needed to reduce single use plastic.
Sophie Guarasci is the latest guest on the Wo(men) Mind the Water Artivist Series podcast. Sophie worked in the world of fashion and finance before becoming a licensed veterinary tech. She works at the Marine Mammal Center, the nation’s foremost marine mammal hospital located just north of San Francisco. Sophie oversees the clinical and surgical treatment and husbandry of seals, sea lions, and sea otters. It’s her dream job, even though there are times she has to make difficult decisions about the treatment of severely ill animals. Every time the Center saves an animal and is able to release it back to the ocean, Sophie feels hope that they are making a difference.
In this episode Sophie discusses her work with stray dogs in La Paz, Mexico before she moved to San Francisco with four of the dogs she and her husband rescued. She moved to California particularly as she knew of the opportunity to work with marine mammals. It was volunteer work at the marine mammal hospital that convinced her to become a vet tech. Working with the patients at the marine mammal hospital is always full of surprises and inspiration. She talks about working with Northern fur seals, the less well known Guadalupe fur seal, California sea lions, and disentangling whales, the latter work is done while on the water. Sophie believes that people wherever they live should care about these animals as they tell us much about what is going on out there in their home the ocean, which is tied to human health.
Angela Abshier is a commercial lawyer and founder Sail to Shelter, a not-for-profit that repurposes elite and super yacht sails into shade and shelter for humanitarian purposes. Angela came up with the idea for Sail to Shelter after being introduced to offshore racing. She envisioned that the strong but light weight fabrics might be useful in settings where permanent construction is too costly and building supplies might not be readily available or suitable. A sail is large enough to cover a soccer field. Because the sailing community has yet to step up and take responsibility for their sails 97% end up in landfills. Angela estimates each sail is equivalent to 10,000 water bottles.
The sails are made from polyester material which cannot be recycled. Angela characterizes some of the material as extraordinary and had the vision to use the decommissioned sails for humanitarian purposes. Sail to Shelter is currently installing sails in Maui for a number of different solutions.
Angela believes that when a system is broken and you have an idea of how to fix it or change it or make it better, it’s worth it to step in and make it happen. After she was introduced to sailing and she saw the massive super yachts with their huge sails, her creative mind took hold. She learned that some of the material is extraordinary and yet it had a limited life span. She wanted to make a positive difference with the decommissioned sails that otherwise ended up as landfill. Angela has invested her own human capital and worked with architects and others to find ways to use the sails for humanitarian purposes. One of the first projects for Sail to Shelter is installing sails in Maui to answer a number of different issues. Maui suffered a devastating fire in August 2023.
Suzette Bousema has breathed in air from 20,000 years ago. Suzette is an emerging Netherlands-based visual artist. She collaborates with environmental scientists to explore present day ecological crises. She engages audiences by using a variety of techniques including photography, glass blowing, and weaving to create experiences for our senses and assist us in wrapping our minds around big, abstract concepts. Suzette has garnered attention through international exhibitions and media coverage in such places as the Netherlands, New York, Kuwait, and France. On the podcast we discuss her project to photograph ancient polar ice cores, create her own climate archive with glass bubbles, and an engaging photograph representing sea level rise.
Holly is an Australian singer/songwriter/festival promoter, and an activist in the areas of environmental and social justice. Also known as Jack River, her music often deals with difficult topics, like personal tragedy, climate change, and social justice. Holly believes transforming such messages into music has the power to inspire action.
Holly grew up in a little place called Foster on the East Coast of Australia, a place with beautiful crystal clear water lapping up against a pristine landscape. Lots of ocean, lots of adventures. It was a beautiful childhood growing up next to nature. It definitely shaped who she is today. Growing up her dad was and is an insanely dedicated Bruce Springsteen fan. Her mom loves Abba. Bruce Springsteen perked her little ears with his musical storytelling and messages of community. She was introduced to perfectly crafted pop songs with other artists like Elton John, Bob Dylan, and the Beach Boys. At the age of 13-14, when she realized these artists were real people making the music, she also made the connection between artists and their listeners. At that same time, Holly experienced the tragic loss of her sister in an accident. The experience drove her to write music more than she’d done before. It was important to her as her body and spirit needed to create. The writing felt good, and she wanted to be there for other people.
Holly explains the origin of her pseudonym Jack River. It was a fun vehicle to create for herself. It gave her another persona to step into and do what she wants. She also explains why sings songs with difficult subject matter like personal loss and global warming. Holly says it’s a way to weave her everyday experiences and lean into the issues. Some of the ways she’s engaged: Surfers for Climate and Sea Forest Australia. Holly was on the board of Surfers for Climate. Surfers have a special connection with each other and parliamentary people who often surf. Sea Forest Australia is an organization started by an ex-fashion designer who discovered that certain type of seaweed, when fed to cows, reduces their production of methane (farts).
Holly’s latest role is that of mother. How does she balance all these roles? Holly says, as a new mom, it’s a challenge. Each day comes with different challenges. She is lucky to have her own mom to lean on. Holly finds the ocean therapeutic, letting her body feel washed by the waves.
Her latest projects are working on a nationwide referendum to give Indigenous people the ability to serve in government, lend their voice to decision making. She is also working with the Australian Conservation Foundation on preserving biodiversity.
Holly’s advice for how people can get involved is to remember everyone is different. Engaging locally is both impactful and feels good. Doing things with other people makes us feel good. Holly believes we should all lean in more when it comes to politics. We shouldn’t be afraid to get involved and engage with politicians.
Kara Dodge is the latest guest on the Women Mind the Water Artivist Series podcast. https://womenmindthewater.com/featured-guests Kara is a research scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center, at the New England Aquarium in Boston. Her specialty is the ecology of marine animals and more specifically sea turtles. She works with leatherback sea turtles, prehistoric looking creatures that weigh upwards of a ton. There is artistry to what Kara' does in developing her scientific research and use of cutting-edge technology like satellite tagging and drones. She works to enrich our knowledge of sea turtles and the impacts of humans on them.
Kara Dodge is a research scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Research, the research arm of the New England Aquarium in Boston. Her specialty is the ecology of marine animals, more specifically sea turtles. Kara uses cutting-edge technology like satellite tagging and drones to enrich our knowledge of sea turtles and the impacts of humans on them.
Hannah St. Luce-Martinez is intimately familiar with the Caribbean, having been born on the island of Dominica, and following her university studies, she has lived and worked in Belize. She has an impressive resume including serving as the Director of Belize’s National Biodiversity Office, the focal point to the convention on Biological Diversity, and currently as the Belize Conservation Director for the Nature Conservancy. In addition to being well-versed in issues related to conservation and biodiversity, she is passionate about promoting gender inclusivity and dedicated to empowering youth and women.
On the podcast Hannah describes Belize. She calls it “the jewel of Central America.” It’s outstanding natural system consists of the largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s a great diving hotspot with significant habitat for threatened species like sea turtles, manatees, and the American saltwater crocodile. Belize also has a UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of several protected areas making up 12 percent of its great barrier reef. However, Belize faces the same problems as elsewhere, problems due to global warming and its consequences. We are doing a lot with almost 30 percent of our ocean water protected making us a trendsetter and leader in conservation. We have already exceeded the UN 30X30 threshold and are demonstrating that intervention works. And there's more...
Hannah St. Luce-Martinez, well-versed in Belize’s natural and cultural resources, is the latest guest on Women Mind the Water Artivist Series. She describes Belize, its natural resources, conservation and biodiversity, and the importance of promoting inclusivity and empowering youth and women.
Hoku Cody, a native Hawaiian, seabird biologist, and life-long ocean lover, protector, and advocate is the latest guest on Women Mind the Water Artivist Series. Hoku advocates for community stewardship of traditional rights in management of cultural and natural resources. She currently works with the National Ocean Protection Coalition and focused on the designation of the Pacific Remote Islands as a National Marine Sanctuary.
Vicki is founder of the Inland Ocean Coalition. Her impressive credentials include a master’s degree in marine policy from Yale University and working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to co-write documents for the designation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Vicki also served as the Executive Director of the California-based Save Our Shores. When she moved to Colorado, she founded the Colorado Ocean Coalition and in 2017 it was rebranded as the Inland Ocean Coalition to recognize that volunteers live in almost every state in the country and more than 30 countries worldwide. Inland Ocean Coalition empowers citizens wherever they live to be leaders and make positive contributions to ocean protection.
When her husband got a job in Colorado she assumed she’d be able to find a job there where she could use her skills and continue to focus on ocean conservation. Finding no such opportunities she decided to figure out how she could design and implement a program that would engage inland dwellers to work toward ocean conservation. This became the impetus for the Colorado Inland Coalition. Her vision was to educate and raise awareness of what inlanders could do to make a difference. This included lobbying legislators who typically didn’t get constituents interested in the ocean. She recruited people by throwing parties. “Blue drinks” were monthly events at bars that donated a part of their proceeds to the cause. People at the events had the chance to talk to one another and learn how they were connected to the ocean and discuss what needed to be done.
Inland Ocean Coalition (IOC) offers enrichment opportunities every month and activities to get involved in. For example, IOC is working on a petroleum sunscreen ban, deep sea mining education, nurdle watch, support for the 30 X 30 initiative and more. Petroleum sunscreens are made from toxins (herbicides). As the sunscreen gets into the ocean it attacks the plants that live in the coral with dire consequences.
Vicki believes that a sense of optimism is very important. She believes that we know how to fix problems but need more support to get the work done. There’s always something that each of us can do to educate ourselves and let leaders know that they have constituents that care.
Rebecca Rutstein is an accomplished artist who has received many awards and been involved in numerous public exhibitions. Rebecca is the latest guest on Women Mind the Water Artivist Series Podcast (womenmindthewater.com/featured-guests). Rebecca’s career has taken her to remarkable places including the high seas and the ocean floor. In all, her artwork strives to build connections with nature, inspire wonder, and foster environmental stewardship.
Her artistic journey grew out of an introductory geology course for art majors during her undergraduate studies at Cornell University. About a decade later, she began to think of incorporating the idea of geologic forces causing upheaval as a metaphor for human relations. She has been involved in a variety of artistic residencies. Her personal challenge is to express the science without being didactic. She wants the viewer to have a visceral experience. All her residencies at sea have been amazing but the two that were most impactful for her were the two she went down on Alvin, the deep sea submersible: once off the coast of Costa Rica, the other off the coast of Mexico in the Gulf of California. It was the most incredible experience in her lifetime as it framed her place in the world and impacted her creatively as an artist. Any fear she might have had in traveling more than 1.5 miles below the ocean surface was overridden by the opportunity. Her art work rather than describing the landscape focuses on the microbes that exist there and the networks they create. Rebecca discusses a permanent exhibit at Georgia Museum of Art that grew out of her experience in Alvin. It’s a 64-ft. installation that relates to the bioluminescent light of the microbes.
Tosha Grantham is the latest guest on Women Mind the Water Artivist series on WomenMindtheWater.com. Tosha holds an advanced degree from Howard University in art history, with a focus on contemporary art and specializations in American and African diaspora arts. She lives in Florida, where she learned about the work of Diving with a Purpose, an international nonprofit that for trains Black scuba divers to assist in the documentation of underwater culturally and environmentally important sites. The podcast highlights her experiences with Diving with a Purpose and the important work they are doing.
DWP focuses on both archaeological work on shipwrecks and ecological study of the health of coral beds. The archaeological "work creates a richer and more voluminous understanding of African and African American people in very many layers. We are working on reconciling deep and painful experiences through locating and doing the actual research to know what the experiences of those people lost at sea were and to include that in stories we have of survival and being.”
Tosha with coral for DWP is another way for her to contribute. She knows that the ocean is important in many ways and that it is important to keep it healthy for now and future generations. The work also helps her as an artist to see more of the world and expand her perspective. She says we must find ways not to use so much energy and find alternatives that make us better stewards. Tosha sees this connection as making the task of maintaining and restoring the ocean a little less daunting.
Lisa Kozel Mangione is a mixed media artist who is the definition of artivist. Lisa raises money for nonprofits by selling her art. She is currently using her art in service of a rural community in Harford County, Maryland. The land known as Mitchell Farm is under consideration for development as a freight distribution district. The possibility of the land being transformed has spurred Lisa to action. She is concerned that further industrialization of the area adds to the impacts on local waterways and ultimately Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. She wants people to know that even an average person can make a difference
Lisa Kozel Mangione is a mixed media artist who is the definition of artivist. Lisa raises money for nonprofits by either donating her paintings directly to organizations or selling her work and then donating the proceeds. Lisa is currently using her art in service of a rural community in Harford County, Maryland. The land known as Mitchell Farm is under consideration for development as a freight distribution district. The possibility of the land being transformed from rural to industrial has spurred Lisa to action. She is concerned about the harm the development will cause on an area that used to be wetland. She is concerned that further industrialization of the area adds to the impacts on local waterways and ultimately Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. She wants people to know that even an average person can make a difference.
Blue de Gersigny is a beach plastic artist. Blue lives in South Africa, a country quite literally at the southern tip of the African Continent. It is a country with nearly 3000 km or 1800 miles of coastline, bordering the Indian, South Atlantic and Antarctic oceans. From the beaches near her home, Blue collects colorful plastic from the beaches near her home and transforms it into eye-catching wearable art. Her intention is to make people aware of plastic debris and pick it up rather than walking by it.
Originally Blue collected natural objects like bone, driftwood, and stone. Eventually, she was attracted to the colorful plastic that litters the beaches. Today her work is created almost entirely of plastic. The relentless of plastic waste rolling in on the tides inspires Blue to start her Plastics Are Forever website. Blue creates eye grabbing wearable art which she artfully displays on Instagram. After seeing one of her posts on Instagram, I knew I had to have her on this podcast.
The latest Women Mind the Artivist Podcast Series guest is Margaret Wertheim, an Australian-born science writer, physicist, mathematician, and artist who with her twin sister Christine started the Crochet Coral Reef project 17 years ago. The project explores the interrelationship of art, science, mathematics, and women’s handiwork. Based on the mathematical discoveries of a female Cornell mathematics professor, Margaret and Christine originated the crochet project as a response to climate change. The Wertheims’ crocheted representations of coral have become a global collaboration with tens of thousands of people contributing their own pieces to citizen-generated art-installations.
Manaarak of Grey is a visual artist and storyteller who grew up on the Caribbean Island of Bonaire and now lives in the Netherlands.. She believes the ocean and water are a vital part of life for humans and the ecosystem. On the Women Mind the Water Artivist Series she shares her thoughts about the ocean, plastic pollution, collaboration and art.
Maanarak was excited about a collaboration with Women Mind the Water. It was decided that she would help raise awareness about plastic pollution by creating graphic images. She created three different images, all have microplastics in the background. Microplastics are symbolic that plastic products don’t biodegrade but break down into tiny pieces. The repeating images in each design reflects on how individual actions add up both for single users and as a societal collective. “Thinking about how we consume plastic, how we are engulfed by plastic, I chose the toothbrush as a symbol of plastic. It is the one plastic object that is day in and day out in our mouths. We wake up and brush our teeth and before we go to bed we brush our teeth. Sunrise and sunset, we have plastic in our mouths.” She chose plastic bottles as a second image as they are among the most common plastic polluters. She further recognizes that plastic bottles represent how import proper clean water is to people. The third image she created was a plastic bag, another common object. She chose a design that reflects her sense of humor. She chose a plastic bag design that includes the words “Thank you.” She smiles as she quips: “Are the plastic bag manufacturers thanking us for polluting?”
Danielle grew up in Michigan. She was scared of anything that lived in the water. After she moved to Hawaii, she didn’t venture into the ocean for two years until a friend of hers, who had been working on a manta ray tour boat, offered her their place. Danielle had always wanted to see mantas but was scared of the dark water and got sea sick. She took Dramimine and found she fell in love with the experience . The inspiration for her shell series had been in her head for some time but wasn’t fully formed until she went beachcombing for seashells on the big island of Hawaii. Danielle paints marine animals on the inside of the shells, building up multiple layers of paint and resin to create engaging images.
Violet Sage Walker is the chair of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council. Among her many passions and activities, she is an accomplished horsewoman, SCUBA diver, as well as steward of Chumash natural resources, culture and history. Violet carries on the legacy of her late father Chief Fred Collins who had a vision to protect a section of California coastline. He wanted to have 156 miles designated as the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. National Marine Sanctuaries are the water-based counterpart to the National Park System. If so designated the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary would be the 17th National Marine Sanctuary and the first Indigenous-led sanctuary. California's coastal marine sanctuary designation would then run contiguously from the Channel Islands in the south, north to the Monterey Bay National Marine sanctuary.
“We all have a need for beauty and especially the beauty of nature. It really feeds us. It feeds us as nothing else can.”
Lisa talks about her father who worked in waste water treatment. When she was a child, her family went on vacation that typically included a visit to the local waste water treatment facility. Sometimes, depending on where the family traveled, this meant viewing an open sewage canal. Lisa’s father and a colleague created “living machines” using plants, fish, and aeration to clean up the waste water. His passion instilled in his daughter the desire to be part of the solution. With her husband, Lisa started Biomatrix Water, a company that combines Lisa’s passion for art and her father’s vision for improving degraded water. The company’s main focus has been on urban settings. They’ve created in various international locations floating platforms from natural and biodegradable materials. Lisa thinks of these floating ecosystems as art. Biomatrix Water has expanded into designs for estuarine and sea water habitats. In addition, Lisa is an award-winning painter.
Colleen Flanigan is the latest guest on Women Mind the Water Artivist Series. Colleen describes herself as a socio-ecological artist. Her work is both functional and artistic. Colleen works at the intersection of art, science, technology, and the environment. Colleen has created metalwork in many forms including jewelry and puppets for motion pictures such as the stop-motion animation Coraline, a 2009 film directed by Henry Selick. Colleen designed and built a sculptural frame for coral. This work promotes a healthy marine community, one that thrives in the presence of the coral growing on the frame. Her Living Sea Sculpture is on display in an underwater museum in Cozumel, Mexico. The video version of the podcast includes underwater footage of Colleen and her Living Sea Sculpture.
Aware that as an artist she should be more thoughtful about sustainability, Kim Bernard creates installations using upcycled trash. She creates works with a range of materials from debris that washes ashore, bicycle inner tubes, plastic bags, even bowling balls. She uses her PopUpCycler to encourage communities to collect plastic trash and together they shred the plastic and transform it into pieces that are assembled into a unique and meaningful installation for everyone to enjoy.
Kim’s process has changed gradually over the years. Issues of sustainability, climate and pollution have become more important in the public conversations. She’s thought more about how she could change her habits and decided to reduce the consumptive nature of her work. She began to incorporate recycled materials and eventually the rule became not to use new materials. Kim explains the difference between the terms – recycle and upcycle. She experiments with the materials and doesn’t worry about failures because “If it doesn’t work, it was bound for the trash anyway.” Kim describes some of the items she’s worked with like oyster baskets and chum bags.
Martina Wing, a manta ray and marine life advocate, educator, author, and underwater photographer is the latest guest on the Women Mind the Water Artivist Series podcast. Martina fell in love with the ocean in 1998 after scuba diving with manta rays for the first time. Martina now devotes her life to educating and inspiring others to honor, protect, and support our oceans. She co-owns Manta Ray Advocates on the Big Island of Hawaii, and with her husband James co-founded Hawaii Ocean Watch, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Erin Smith is the CEO of Ocean Sole, a social enterprise that upcycles flip-flops found along the beaches and waterways of Kenya. Started a decade ago, Ocean Sole has created a unique space to talk about flip flop debris and a successful model for cleaning up ocean trash, and transforming the trash into colorful sculptures, high fashion clothes, and mattresses. Ocean Sole also provides the local community with sustainable employment, and educational opportunities.
Erin worked in telecommunications and finance, before making a pivot in 2016 to become the CEO of Ocean Sole. Erin may not be an artist herself, but she oversees an organization that employs talented artists, who create colorful, engaging sculptures, from the tons of flip-flops that wash up along the shores of Kenya, a country in East Africa. The men and women who are employed by Ocean Sole, work in various capacities from beach cleanup, to sculpting the discarded flip-flops into colorful, big smile producing sculptures. Ocean Sole is a social enterprise that supports over 1,200 people and recycles about three quarters of a million flip-flops annually.
Erin Smith is the CEO of Ocean Sole, a social enterprise that upcycles flip-flops found along the beaches and waterways of Kenya. Started a decade ago, Ocean Sole has created a unique space to talk about flip flop debris and a successful model for cleaning up ocean trash, and transforming the trash into colorful sculptures, high fashion clothes, and mattresses. Ocean Sole also provides the local community with sustainable employment, and educational opportunities.
Jayshree imagined that a book from the perspective of a drop of water could transport children on their own journey and along the way they might learn how precious a resource water is. The overarching message from the book is to go out in nature and explore and remember that where there is water there is life. If you are connected with water, you are connected with our whole world.
Today’s Monday memory is Yustina Salnikova, a designer/sculptor who creates large scale creations. Ethyl, an 82-foot-long Blue Whale made from steel and plastic waste, was meant to encourage environmental awareness and social change. Ethyl is recorded holder for the World’s largest recycled plastic sculpture.
Marie Maltais is the Director of the Art Centre at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, Canada. In addition to overseeing the Centre’s collections, Marie promotes the role of art in understanding the contemporary world and its role in the exchange of ideas and knowledge. In the last decade Marie has focused on raising awareness about environmental issues through art. Her first project, H2O: Liquid Measure, was a maze constructed from 6,500 plastic water bottles. The installation called attention to our disposable culture and its contribution to plastic pollution. In 2019, she oversaw an exhibit entitled Cascade: Our Plastic, Our Planet, Our Choice. This multi-faceted project featured a floor-to-ceiling waterfall made from plastic. More recently the Art Centre launched H20 - An Ocean of Science, an interactive app developed in collaboration with Spandrel Interactive, a New Brunswick-based game and digital media developer. The app was designed for use with a smartphone or tablet. Users can interact with the globe to learn about issues about water across the globe and contribute their own observations thus becoming part of a global conversation about climate change.
Taji Riley and Samantha Day Los Santos grew up in the Bronx and both are alumnae of Rocking the Boat. Rocking the Boat is a program located in the South Bronx that teaches boatbuilding to high school students. Working together, students develop the skills to build a full-sized traditional wooden boat. These boats are built from designs that were historically used by New Yorkers, so students gain a connection to the city’s maritime past. Once completed, the students have a chance to take their boats out on the Bronx River.
Mariah Reading grew up surrounded by a major river and streams and close to the forest, the coast and the end of the Appalachian Trail. She was treated each year to four seasons: “The landscape of Maine is constantly moving so it’s hard not to be inspired.” She remembers painting and sketching from a young age and immersed herself in many forms of art when she went to college. She became aware that a good deal of the art process became waste at the end of each term. She want to be more mindful of her own practice. Dedicating herself to find a way to leave the landscape better than she’d found it. Living near Acadia National Park, Mariah had many opportunities to visit so it wasn’t until she visited Yosemite National Park that she was “blown away by the scale of things.” She realized that national parks offer much dynamic beauty, history, and inspiration. She resolved to visit as many national parks as she could. In 2016, she began Recycled Landscapes project with a found object from the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park in Maine. With time she combined multiple pieces of trash to form a cohesive canvas. In 2017 while volunteering in Guadalupe Mountains National Park she found a hubcap that spoke to the fact that a major highway ran through the park. The shape of the hubcap suggested to her the mountains that also ran through the park and that is the landscape Mariah painted on it. Mariah thinks her artwork resonates most with her generation – gen-Xers, millennials, and gen-Zers. “We all are experiencing ecoanxiety.” She hopes her art causes people to think about their consumption habits and recognizes that the least stressful way to move to zero waste is by taking small steps everyday.
Cheryl Massey is a British Columbia, Canadia basket maker whose creations are rooted in the natural world. Cheryl’s signature basket is made from kelp. Cheryl uses the wind and sun to dry the kelp she collects during the spring and summer months along rocky beaches. She says that as it dries the kelp takes on its own personality. Cheryl has observed during the last decade that it is getting more difficult to find kelp. She believes the decline is the result of climate change and the overall destruction of nature. Cheryl discusses several baskets and a wedding shawl she’s made.