Join us on ZOOM or FB Live
This virtual panel discussion, organized in collaboration and with the support of ArtServe, continues the engaging conversations initiated during ARTsail's first Lake O. expedition in early February with Dr. Paul Gray and Robert Mitchell. We'll explore the complexities of the Lake O. region, addressing some of the ecological and social issues the local communities and natural ecosystem are impacted by.

This talk will be moderated by Ombretta Agró Andruff, Environmental Activist, Curator, and Founder of ARTSail. Participating panelists include Christina Pettersson, Artist and Activist; Robert Mitchell, #GoGreen Campaign and Founder of Muck City Black Lives Matter; Dr. Paul Gray, Audubon Florida’s Everglades Science Coordinator.
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On July 10, 2019, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. For the first time, the Army Corps admitted to willfully and knowingly releasing toxic water containing cyanobacteria and harmful algal blooms, without warning, from Lake Okeechobee to St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers.
The importance of this admission presents an opening into resolving a lethal impasse spanning decades between government, agro-business, environmentalists, and communities impacted by water management policy. These decisions impact communities to the east, south, and west and the Everglades, ultimately determining the quality of the water that constitutes the 1.5 million acres of the tropical wilderness of the Everglades, potable water for 6 million people and wildlife downstream, as well as the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Mexico surrounding the Florida peninsula.
ARTSail has partnered with Friends of the Everglades to deliver a multi-pronged project, including a year-long artist residency with Christina Pettersson exploring the Lake O. region, public outreach programs, and the resulting bi-lingual publication, Water Ecologies for our Shared Future, aiming at building new audiences by bringing stakeholders across multiple sectors together. Our premise is that bringing an accomplished visual artist into the scenario can instigate new messaging and outcomes.

About ARTSail Residency and Research Initiative:
A nomadic, multi-faceted platform, ARTSail facilitates interdisciplinary practice to cultural producers in the creation of innovative content addressing the climate crisis specific to South Florida. We connect artists with climate activists, scientists, and marine experts to investigate how climate change and man-made pollution are impacting the South Florida waterways and assist them in the creation of tangible outcomes with climate advocacy value.
Four cultural producers completed month-long residencies between 2016 and 2019, and ARTSail became a standalone entity in July 2018. New proposals with an emphasis on activism and communication are in development under the leadership of the Founder and Executive Director, Ombretta Agrò Andruff.
www.artsail.info
IG/Twitter: @art_sail
FB: www.facebook.com/ARTSailResidency

About ArtServe
Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, ArtServe is an award-winning, 33-year-old non-profit arts incubator that is advancing the arts for social good. Named a “2020 Top-Rated Nonprofit” by Great Non-profits, ArtServe has won awards for innovation and collaboration for exhibition and programming that substantively contribute to the region’s economy. The organization’s creative and thoughtful projects spark financial vitality by aligning professional artists with the business community. ArtServe secures financial support through donations, sponsorships and memberships and is supported in part by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners. Requests and questions about the ArtServe facility, programs, membership, and donations can be emailed to information@ArtServe.org.
www.artserve.org
IG: @artservefla
FB: www.facebook.com/ArtServeFlorida