Public Art Installation Encourages Montgomery County To Go Green

SILVER SPRING, MD — Three local artists will create temporary public artwork that raises awareness about climate change and encourages green behavior in Montgomery County.

The art installation — made possible through the county's Sustainable Environmental Public Art Project Initiative — will showcase the works of Jackie Hoysted, Kirsty Little, and Joanne Miller. Their pieces, which will be displayed from May to June 2020, aims to inspire residents to lead more eco-friendly lives and highlight the county's environmental objectives, according to the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC).

"Issues surrounding today's environmental concerns are top-of-mind nowadays," said Suzan Jenkins, CEO of the AHCMC. "No matter which side of the aisle they may be on, people are discussing the current climate crisis. The arts are an incredible vehicle to bring attention to these challenges while also providing messages of hope and inspiring change."

Billing itself as an environmentally progressive county, Montgomery's government is hoping to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. Local officials have already installed solar panels on county facilities and over parking lots, added more than 35 electric vehicles and 190 hybrid vehicles to its fleet, and retrofitted a number of existing buildings with energy efficiency improvements.

The county's Department of Environmental Protection, however, says that's not enough.

"Technological improvements, financial incentives, and progressive policies will be essential to meeting our environmental goals. But on their own, these interventions will be insufficient," Doug Weisburger, the department's Sustainability Programs manager, said. "Art has the power to spark a heightened sense of emotional engagement in a way that graphs, data and scientific analyses cannot."

"Around the globe, artists are participating in the cultural movement to champion a clean future” Jenkins says. Studies show similar projects, like the 2016 ArtCOP21 festival in Paris, have positively impacted audiences. "We at the Arts and Humanities Council are elated to join this conversation and inspire county residents to take action."

Official dates and locations have not yet been announced.