Michelle Stitzlein

Enivro Artist of the Day!

-MICHELLE STITZLEIN-

Michelle Stitzlein is a Baltimore based sculptor most known for her works made from recycled materials such as bottle caps or car parts.  She also visit elementary schools and other art organizations to teach about creating with these humble tools.  She also uses her books, workshops, presentations, and physical exhibitions to teach about recycling and making recycled art.

All of the events she designs are created specifically for the location and range from interactive bottle cap mural and installations to Earth Day projects for festivals, museums, and science conservatoires. 


See more of her works here: http://www.artgrange.com/michellesculpture.html

Foundations, Assosications, and Clubs

As yesterday's post explained a little bit about the history of Earth Day I thought it would be nice to share some of the groups that were founded because of Earth Day.  Though there are literally hundreds to chose from I selected the two government agencies as well as four of the more well known independent groups that work to protect and conserve the earth and oceans.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the national government agency that focus on the large scale environment issues such as air and water quality, climate change, waste reduction, and landfill cleanup.  The agency's main mission is to protect both human health and the environment.  The EPA controls all government regulations and law that are passed in terms of human health and the environment. 


Environmental Protection Agency

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is another government agency that works on the state scale. The agency is divided into three sections: Regulatory Programs, Land and Recreation, Water Policy and Ecosystem Restoration. The Florida office focuses on the issues specific to the sunshine state.  The DEP overseas all state parks and wildlife reserves enforces state environmental laws protecting the landscape.  Their website also features a section explaining the importance of the Florida coral reefs.

Department of Environmental Protection

 The Audubon Society focuses on ecosystem restoration aimed at birds, but working with other animals as well, to benefit humanity and natural biodiversity.  The society is over a century old and has successfully protected several wildlife preserves across the nation.

The Audubon Society

The Surfrider Foundation is a California that began in an effort to protect the California waves and coastline.  Then the group expanded to protection of the oceans, marine life, and waves.  The groups is now in eighteen countries around the world.  Because of their surf background they do not want to block off the beaches for visitors but instead through actions teach others how to protect and treat every beach a little bit better so that the future generations can enjoy those same beaches and waves!

The Surfrider Foundation

The World Wildlife Foundation main mission is to conserve the earth, protect the wildlife and addressing the issues threatening our world.  by the year 2020 the WWF are hoping to in conjunction with other to protect species habitats, and raise awareness within local communities.  They also want to transform policies to reduce pollution and the negative effect on animal habitats.  Gather millions together in support of nature conservation.  Some of the species they work with are the giant panda, sea turtles, tree kangaroos, and dolphins and porpoises.

World Wildlife Foundation

The Sierra Club is the most outspoken of all the groups listed and known for their acts of environmental protection.  Their mission is to protect the wild places of America and promote responsible use of natural fuels.  The group's main goals focus on alternative fuel sources to replace coal and gas, keep the American wild just that, wild, and to get involved in politics to promote laws and regulations in favor of the environment. 

Linda Gass

Enviro Artist of the Day!

-LINDA GASS-

Gass is an artist focused on bringing awareness and finding new ways of creating sustainable water resources specifically to the American West.  She acknowledges that most of the west is desert lands which contain little resources for agriculture or life development.  Over the years people developed ways to transport water from other sources to the arid lands.  These methods were usually in the form of large aqueduct like concrete structures.  These aqueducts brought water in from neighboring states created reservoirs that provided the necessary ingredient for life to exist. Gass saw the eerie beauty these massive buildings had while also destroying the natural beauty of the land.  Her work addresses these issues and invites the viewer to also think creatively about a different solution. 

She works with silks and other fabrics creating textile works that are colorful, beautiful, and meaningful.  She works use fabric because of it's non-intimidating and familiar comforting feeling it has.  Her works are meant to show the destructive effect that humans are having on the land.


As my research also deals with water issues I feel a deeper connection to her work.  Her similar love for the natural landscape and her knowledge of the importance of water protection is something we share.  Though the issues we are addressing are different the feeling is the same, so when I see her work I feel for the landscape as well. 

See her works online at:  http://www.lindagass.com/

Earth Day!

How silly of me... sometimes I can get caught up in all the smaller details that I passed right over the marker of the modern American environmental movement... EARTH DAY!

Earth day was conceived on April 22, 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson as a tool to re-channel Americans' anti war energy into something more positive.  His attention to the environment came to a head with the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California.  He thought that if he could take the energy young Americans were putting forth against the war towards environmental consciousness that it would create a national "teach-in" that educated other Americans about the importance of water, air, and land quality.

The first Earth Day saw several demonstrations by these young people about how to create and live a healthy and sustainable life.  Earth Day created a new and rare political occurrence where people from all walks of life joined together for  single cause, rich, poor, city dweller, and rural farmers could all find an issue to get behind.  This inaugural Earth Day led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.  

Since then every year Earth Day rallies people across the globe to education, take action, and inspire other to get involved in the green movement.   Earth Day is celebrated in 192 countries, and in Canada is celebrated on September 11th.  Each year the event brings more humans to action whether in their schools or community.  The holiday is still thought of as a "teach-in" and the original ideal of Senator Nelson are stronger than ever.

Nemo Gould

Enviro Artist of the Day!

-NEMO GOULD-

A bit playful and always exciting Nemo Gould, or "Nemomatic" is an assemblage  artist who builds crazy creatures and fantastic sculptures from found objects.  His works are known as kinetic because they incorporate light, sound, or motion and are meant to be interactive in some way with the viewer.  The reoccurring themes of robots, creatures, and vehicles lean to the artist's interest in science fiction and the bizarre.  Though his art is not subjectively environmental his use of found objects promotes reuse and recycling.  Gould wants to bring through his art a sense of childhood wonder and awe to the mundane and drab adult world.

When I look at his art I cannot help but imagine and create fantastic stories about these mythical creatures.  I am truly brought back to a place of wonder and my creative spirit feels more bright!

You gotta see his stuff... go to his website, no go now: http://www.nemogould.com/

EcoArt South Florida

EcoARt South Florida is a non-profit developed in 2007 to be a catalyst for making south Florida a major center fro ecological art and action.  Their goal is to by 2015 have "Eco nodes" in each of South Florida's watersheds.  An "Eco node" is an ongoing effort on the local level to expand EcoARt in a specific area.  EcoArt works with the local community, artists, scientists, to research and study what can be done in that area. 

What is EcoArt?  According to their website EcoArt is "art with a job to do."  They are working to create more awareness and action within the community.  Their goal is to have local commitment to helping find a solution to local or global environmental issues.  They stress that the purpose of their EcoArt is not to have pieces hung in museums or commercial galleries but to engage the group in the process and build visibility within the community. 

EcoArt South Florida

Andy Goldsworthy

Enviro Artist of what should have been yesterday...

Falling asleep with your computer on your lap will put a damper on typing and finishing the artist of the day duo you had planned.  The second of the two artists my undergraduate teachers loved to show in class.  I have viewed the "Rivers and Tides" film several times and every time I view the film I am still amazed at his ability to create these works using nothing but his hands and the materials he finds. With few exceptions being the permanent sculptures that utilized machine tools.

At the conclusion of each work Goldsworthy takes care in  photographing each work to build that ethereal quality.  His goal with his work is to discover and and fully understand nature by working directly in and with it.  The lines, circles, windows, and curves invite the viewer to look deeper into the nature  to  discover what lies beneath. 

See more of his incredible work: http://www.goldsworthy.cc.gla.ac.uk/