Exhibition Report

This exhibition featured the original earth-toned ink illustrations from Deborah Kennedy’s book, Nature Speaks: Art and Poetry for the Earth. Other paintings, drawings and an eco installation, Changed Climate were also presented. These works reflected on our current ecological dilemmas, including climate change, endocrine disruption, and the on-going sixth mass extinction. Kennedy’s goal is to confront our troubled relationship with the natural world and support the growing edge, where we, as a global community, can create new visions that will help solve our environmental problems.

Deborah Kennedy’s melding of art, science and writing created unique opportunities for multidisciplinary engagement with San Jose City College students, the community, and local schools. Students from a wide variety of City College classes became involved with the show. The classes included Creative Writing, Beginning Drawing, Illustration, Environmental Studies, English as a Second Language, and General Psychology. During the month-long show, Kennedy presented her slide lecture with poetry readings-- Thinking Art and Poetry--to students. An estimated 700 students and community members attended the opening and visited the show in small groups.