Eco-Art: Turning over a New Leaf
This clay and metal installation was created in 2014 by over eighty OISE B.Ed and MT students to emphasize the importance of learning about sustainability in school and community settings. Created as part of the Take the Stairs project, it now hangs in OISE's main stairwell as part of the walking art gallery that encourages the OISE community to take the stairs, rather than using the elevators (conserving energy and improving health and wellness of the walkers).
After being introduced to the range of practice that constitutes environmental art-making, the students were asked how they might help others ‘turn over a new leaf’ when it comes to living more sustainably. Working with clay, a bio-degradable medium, they drew, incised and sculpted their ideas in both image and text, resulting in over a hundred vibrant clay leaves, which have been hung on a handmade metal branch. Our hope is that Turning over a New Leaf will help others think about how they can take positive change towards sustainability in their own personal and professional lives, one step/stair at a time!
Collaborating Artists: OISE B.Ed students/artists Angela Johnson, Amanda Johnson, Yevgeny Shnaper, and faculty member Hilary Inwood.
