Engage with Renewable Energy: Interactive Art Exhibition & Reusables Workshop

Estimated Amount to be requested from the CSF: $674

Letter of Intent:

CSF Small Project Application

Letter of Intent

 

Engage with Renewable Energy: Interactive Art Exhibition & Reusables Workshop

UW WashPIRG

100% Renewable Energy Campaign

 

This project will include two components: a reusables workshop and interactive art exhibition to contribute to the Earth Day celebration on April 16-20th, 2018. The goal of both of these components is to engage UW students who may not already have a strong interest in the sustainability, climate change, or renewable energy and encourage them to incorporate these concepts into their daily lives.

The workshop will provide students with the opportunity to customize their own reusable item while talking with their peers about sustainability and renewable energy. We will provide students with blank tote bags, water bottles, thermoses, and cloth sandwich bags as well as an array of paint and stickers that they can use to create unique reusable items. We hope that these eye-catching designs will encourage their fellow students to start a dialogue about the reusable item and continue the conversation around sustainable choices. In addition, while the workshop is happening we will play a series of videos on the projector that focus on how we can engage with and incorporate sustainability and renewable energy into our worldview. One example of a video we could use is “Buildings of the Future: Net Zero Energy”, which was presented at TEDxCSUSM. Ideally, students will come away with a sparked interest in sustainability that will motivate them to take action in their own lives as well as a fun item that serves as a reminder of the event while reducing their environmental impact.

For the art exhibition, we will have a piece in a prominent position on the first floor of the Husky Union Building for the Monday to Friday of Earth week. The current concept for the piece is a giant “coloring page” that we will display in a four-foot long canvas on two large easels with an array of markers that students passing by can use to color in the piece. The piece itself will showcase a whimsical mural of interconnected vignettes depicting the often unnoticed connections between people and sustainability, such as wind turbines powering houses, urban gardens, and recycling facilities. We will work with the students creating the piece to make a design that appeals to them and tells this story of interconnectedness. One consideration we are keeping in mind is how to present a piece that will engage students and compel them to interact with it while expanding their view of sustainability and renewable energy. After we take down the piece, we are also looking into finding a space where we could permanently display it.

 

1. Environmental Impact

This project will nurture a more sustainable campus by providing around 100 free reusable items to students which will, over a lifetime of use, prevent many hundreds of disposable equivalents from entering landfills. We are also being considerate to use compostable items when possible and will reuse any supplies that we obtain, such as paint and markers.

2. Student Leadership & Involvement

This project will be entirely planned and executed by students, primarily being volunteers within WashPIRG’s 100% Renewable Energy campaign, as well as other students who express interest in contributing. Participating in this project will provide students with event planning skills, as well a unique opportunity to communicate scientific concepts through visual art.

3. Education, Outreach, & Behavior Change

The entirety of this project is aimed at encouraging students to become more aware of and engage with issues of sustainability and renewable energy in their daily lives. We hope that these two components will attract students who aren’t already involved in environmental issues and encourage them to continue exploring after Earth week is over, such as by joining WashPIRG or other environmental RSOs.

4. Feasibility, Accountability, & Sustainability

Although this project must be put together in a short amount of time, we are confident that we have the skill and resources to make it successful. WashPIRG has a history of putting together events under a time crunch, such as the Renewable Energy Rally we held last quarter which had over 50 attendees and was covered on two local news outlets as well as The Daily. For a full list of events our campaign has organized, refer here: http://uwashpirg.weebly.com/events.html . We have a dedicated team of students working on this project and have already obtained all of the permissions to pull it off. Furthermore, we have received guidance from Sean Schmidt, Sustainability Specialist at UW Sustainability, and are also supported by WashPIRG’s Campus Organizer, William Lehrer, who is a full-time staff who our organization pays to support us.

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Timeline

April 5

  • Book room for workshop
  • Confirm art exhibition space in the HUB
  • Reach out to RSOs and students to collaborate on art exhibition (Sustainability In The Arts, Sustainability Action Network, Program on the Environment students)

April 6

  • Submit CSF application

April 9

  • Create poster promoting workshop

April 10

  • Planning meeting
    • Complete rough draft of art exhibition
  • Purchase workshop supplies (online, various websites)
  • Put up posters promoting workshop
  • Create Facebook page for workshop
  • Ask for events put up on the Sustainability Action Network’s Earth Day webpage and the UW Sustainability calendar
  • Send out email promoting the project to our coalition of RSOs
  • Send out email to our network of professors to promote the workshop

April 11

  • Campaign meeting
    • Sign up volunteers to oversee workshop
    • Recruit volunteers to help with exhibition
    • Brainstorm and compile video options
    • Share Facebook event

April 12

  • Purchase exhibition supplies (in person at Artist & Craftsman Supply)

April 13-15

  • Create art exhibition piece

April 16

  • Put up art exhibition in the HUB 1st floor street
  • Possible table promoting the workshop

April 17

  • Hold workshop, 4:30-7:30pm, in HUB 250

April 20

  • Take down art exhibition
  • If we have extra workshop supplies, give out during Earth Day table in Red Square 11:00am-5:00pm

 

Budget

Workshop:

  • Room booking
    • Custom set fee - $27
    • Room fee - $27
    • Cleaning fee - $28
  • Water bottles, thermos & canvas bags (25 of each) - $250
    • Reusable sandwich bags (27) - $115
    • Fabric paint - $20
    • Stickers - $35
  • Food - $30
    • Compostable plates & cutlery - $10

Exhibition:

  • Canvas, 36”x48” student grade - $70
    • Acrylic paint - $40
  • Markers - $22

TOTAL: $674

Primary Contact First & Last Name: Jiamei Shang