rain | OHHS Art and Design

Just Earth – Cincinnati, in collaboration with new and longtime partners, aims to educate and facilitate action among residents of the Cincinnati region to address the intersecting crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental injustice. The Just Earth Visual Art Competition, open to 2 categories of artists (18 and under, and 19 and over) called for submissions that expressed warnings for the future, images of celebration, images depicting regret or loss, or pieces of art depicting hope and exaltation over a healthy world and all of life’s cycles. Submissions will be judged by a committee of local artist and art educators and prizes will be awarded for 1st ($500); 2nd ($250); and 3rd ($100) place.

Jackson Mundstock, a student in Ms. Schorsch’s Drawing and Printmaking class, recently submitted this amazing piece and statement for the Call for Visual Art Entries!

ARTIST STATEMENT
“Stroll in the Acid Rain”
Mixed Media

While depicting the beauty of nature and wonders of our planet is great and all, I find showing the dangers and threats posed upon our environments more important, because if awareness of those threats is not spread and made known, no action can be taken against them, and the ability to celebrate the beauty of our planet will be but a distant memory. With this piece, I wanted to show off a threat that is more personal to regions like our own, and especially regions surrounding ours; acid rain. This piece depicts how acid rain is formed in the sky from fossil fuel burnings, but also its effects and the danger it poses to our environment, as well as the equally problematic and more worldwide issue of smog clouds looming over our society. I made the bottom third nearly completely coated in darkness, symbolically showing the dark nature and effects of acid rain, but also showing how the polluted smog clouds born from smokestacks and fossil fuels can leave us in darkness down on the ground as the air and rain gets worse and worse. On the trees, I made it so the leaves begin luscious and green at the bottom, but slowly become more brown and dead as the tree goes up, to show how acid rain kills off and destroys trees from the ground up. On the top half, I wanted the factory and smoke clouds to loom overhead as the person walks by, showing how we are powerless to the destruction of our skies and ecosystems if we don’t stand up and do something, as well as showing the source of acid rain. Of course, this piece is a bit exaggerated, as while acid rain is certainly deadly to the environment, it’s not deadly enough to literally melt the ground below us in acid puddles. However, the intent is merely to show the viewer that acid rain is dangerous and threatening, anyway, and that if we don’t take care of it, environments in regions around the world affected by acid rain will cease to exist, just like how it is shown here.

Pieces will be assembled into a curated show at The Annex Art Gallery @ The Pendleton Art Center, 1501 Republic St. Cincinnati, OH, on April 26th, 2024.

The Rain Barrel Art Project was created to promote the use of rain barrels throughout the Ohio River Valley area through a creative and educational medium. The Rain Barrel Art Project desires to educate people on environmental issues like stormwater runoff, watersheds, and water conservation.

Rain barrels continue to grow in popularity across the country. However, one of its biggest drawbacks is its dull appearance. Some people are less likely to use them given their negative aesthetic impact on residential and commercial landscaping, even though they conserve water and save money. The “Save Local Waters” initiative believes that producing beautiful artistic rain barrels that have unique painted details will make them more desirable and naturally increase interest to promote their use.

Ms. Kopf’s Painting and Public Art and Ms. Schorsch’s National Art Honor Society students will be creating 5 Rain Barrels for this year’s event! Congratulations to all of the students who were selected by their peers to submit pieces for the jurying.

Completed Rain Barrels will be displayed at the Cincinnati Zoo along with the Online Auction and Artist Reception. Stay tuned to dates!

Congratulations to Jordan Tinsley, Addison Wuebbling, Cedar Krodel, Alexis Predmore, and Edith Sax on the selection of their design by the “Save Local Waters” committee for this year’s event!