Local Artists Engage in Climate Change Dialogue Through Art Residency
In an inspiring blend of creativity and environmental activism, five local artists have been selected to participate in the second cohort of the Hawaiʻi Climate Action Artist Residency program. Chosen from a pool of 65 applicants, these artists will use their talents to engage the community and address pressing climate issues.
The residency program is a collaborative effort between the Hawaiʻi State Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (CCMAC) and the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program. It aims to raise awareness and provoke discussion on climate change topics, spanning areas from the mountains to the sea, such as cultural knowledge, land stewardship, energy efficiency, and community resilience.
Artists are encouraged to interact with local students and residents, collaborate with climate action practitioners, and creatively address the climate challenges unique to Hawaiʻi. According to Udi Mandel Butler, CCMAC’s climate action program manager, “Creatively engaging with the crises of climate change can offer us different ways of thinking, feeling and imagining alternatives in the present and for the future.”
The artists selected for the residency are:
- Avalon Paradea: A kapa artist from the Island of Hawaiʻi, focusing on community concerns and aspirations in relation to climate change.
- Chenta Laury: A fiber artist based in Maui, exploring themes of migration, adaptation, and transformation.
- Matt Kawika Ortiz: A native Hawaiian from O‘ahu, inspired by the iconography of place-based moʻolelo.
- Jana Ireijo: An artist from O‘ahu, known for creating ephemeral murals using wildfire charcoal to depict endangered species.
- Sophia Sol: Based in O‘ahu, she works at the intersection of oil painting, architecture, and new media arts.
Jana Ireijo shares her perspective on the impact of climate change: “Climate change is not abstract to me. It is something we are all living through in Hawai’i, from wildfires, coral bleaching and flooding to the changes I have seen over time in the ocean and landscapes I grew up with. My work tries to make these shifts visible in a way that people can feel.”
The completed artworks will be showcased at the Capitol Modern, the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum in Honolulu, in the Spring of 2027. This initiative aligns with CCMAC’s mission to promote culturally responsive strategies for climate adaptation and mitigation in Hawaiʻi.
For more details on the residency program and CCMAC’s initiatives, visit their website: https://climate.hawaii.gov/art. For inquiries, contact Udi Mandel Butler at [email protected].
Resources
(All images/video courtesy: DLNR)
Climate Action Pathways 2025 – A community-focused action plan for a resilient, climate-ready Hawaiʻi.
Media Contact:
Ryan Aguilar
Communications Specialist
State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources
Phone: 808-587-0396
Original Story at dlnr.hawaii.gov