March 27, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: Multipurpose Room in the Mary Idema Pew Library

You are welcome to come to every session or drop in for individual sessions. Registration is appreciated but not required. 

Art Matters: An Interdiciplinary Symposium on Water Justice

While water is one of the most indispensable resources on the planet for most life forms, including humans, it is not an infinite resource. Pollution, lack of access, poor infrastructure, economic disparities, and environmental factors are all combining to lead to a global water crisis. According to Unicef, over four billion people in the world currently live with severe water scarcity at least one month each year, and half of the world's population could experience severe water scarcity this year alone. In Michigan, we have seen the damages that poor infrastructure can cause to both our environment and human life, reflected through events such as the Flint Water Crisis and the Kalamazoo River oil spill of 2010. Human pollution has led to over 22 million pounds of plastic ending up annually in the Great Lakes, and there is an ongoing effort to both build and stop the Copperwood Mine, which has the potential to store over 30 million pounds of mine waste just miles from Lake Superior.  

While it might feel like there is nothing we as individuals can do to protect one of our most precious resources, this is not the case. Join us for one, two, three, or all of our sessions today to learn about actions we can take to protect the water we need to survive and thrive. 

Symposium Schedule

10:00 - 11:00 AM  – The Conservation Kid
Rivers are Life's film, The Conservation Kid, highlights a young conservationist who is on a mission to engage more youth in protecting the planet. Through the film, we learn about his creation of monofilament bins that are used to collect waste from riverbanks. Come enjoy the film, learn how to replicate his monofilament bins, and receive a free educational toolkit that guides classes, grades 3-12, on an educational journey.
This session is geared toward K-12 educators but will be of interest to students who may work with K-12 students in the future as well as departments on campus who are interested in conservation and science communication.

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM – Narrating the Impact of PFAs: A Conversation Between Kathleen Blackburn, PhD and Danielle Devasto, PhD
Kathleen D. Blackburn is Assistant Professor in the Department of English at SUNY-New Paltz and the author of the 2024 memoir, Loose of Earth. Loose of Earth chronicles the deleterious effects of carcinogenic compounds known as PFAs, or “forever chemicals,” on Blackburn’s father's health. After reading from her recognized memoir, Blackburn will be in conversation with GVSU’s Assistant Professor of Writing and Principal Investigator of the public archival project, “Living with PFAs,” Danielle DeVasto, PhD. Together, Blackburn and DeVasto will consider the essential role of storytelling and interdisciplinary collaboration in building collective awareness of the impact of PFAs, an awareness that will drive decision-making and future action.

12:00 - 1:00 PM - Lunch break

1:00 – 2:00 PM – Michigan Climate Action Network
Erica Bouldin, Engagement Coordinator with the Michigan Climate Action Network (MiCAN), will discuss MiCAN’s work to help make Michigan a more sustainable state. An important action priority for MiCAN is to help shut down Line 5, which pumps nearly 23 million gallons of oil through the Great Lakes region daily through pipelines that are 21 years past their safe operating date. Partnering with the Sierra Club, MiCAN and other community organizations are working to Fish for the Future, a campaign to bring awareness to the impacts we face due to Line 5 and dangerous pipeline infrastructure. Together they attempt create over 18,000 origami fish to take to Governor Gretchen Whitmer to protest Line Five and its tar sands in a peaceful, artistic way. We cannot do this alone and we need your help! Participants in this session will be invited to create their own origami fish to represent our shared commitment to protecting the Great Lakes.
This session is geared toward K-12 educators but will be of interest to students who may work with K-12 students in the future as well as departments on campus who are interested in conservation and science communication.

2:00 PM - 3:00 – Toxic Art
Following the fifteen-minute documentary Toxic Art by Rivers are Life, a panel of experts will discuss interdisciplinary approaches to cleaning up our water supply. Panelists include Guy Riefler, PhD, a scientist from Ohio University, Kathleen Blackburn, PhD, and Christina Catanese, an artist and the Education Specialist at GVSU’s Annis Water Research Institute. This panel will be moderated by Brian Deyo, PhD, GVSU English Department and a member of GVSU’s Climate Change Education and Solutions Network.

3:00 - 4:00 PM – Student Presentation

This program is in support of the exhibition Climate Matters: Our Changing and Resilient Planet.

This program is a collaboration between the GVSU Art Museum and the Department of English. Special thanks to our colleauges Dr. Brian Deyo and Dr. Tierney Powell, and to all of our participants for generously sharing their expertise with us.