Civic Arts Lab 2023: Waste/Chemicals/Water/Sustainability and Design Lab

Join us for our 9th annual Civic Art Lab, October 28-29! This year's hybrid sustainability, design, & art lab will feature talks and tours

Our 9th annual Civic Art Lab considers creative interventions in the management of waste, chemicals and hazardous materials, and water. Urbanization, population growth, and climate change have led to challenges with solid and hazardous waste generation and disposal, and has put stress on water resources. This year’s lab investigates the ways that designers, artists, creative technologists, policy makers, activists, and educators are working to deal with these impacts and what projects are being undertaken to mitigate these risks.

Globally the average person generates 1.6 lbs of waste per day and total waste will rise as the world’s population increases. Even as waste treatment methods have improved, a lot of waste ends up in dump sites and only “20 percent of waste is recycled each year” (Alves, 2023). Hazardous waste, which is especially harmful – coming from dyes, metals in batteries and electronics, and solvents – suffers from inadequate household awareness and lack of industry compliance. Clean water and water systems are taken for granted in many parts of society just as many rivers and lakes have “dried up” or have become “too polluted to use” — and it is expected that by 2025, “two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages.” (WWF, 2023).

Day 1 - Civic Art Lab at FABnyc (11:00 am - 6:00 pm)

In person w/ limited virtual attendance

11 am - Themed Panels

1 pm - Lunch

2 pm - Artist Talks

4 pm - Pecha Kucha

5 pm - Happy Hour / Pizza at Cacio E Vino

Civic Art Lab is hosted by GreenspaceNYC (www.greenspacenyc.org), a non-profit collaborative that develops and curates free educational programming, hands-on workshops, and public design projects that encourage dialogue, enliven public spaces, and promote the future of more equitable and sustainable cities. Past workshops, exhibitions, and events have been held at Parsons School of Design, the New Museum, IDC w/ Sesame Workshop, and more. 

Co-Directors & Founders / GREENSPACENYC + Civic Art Lab: Laura Scherling, Jeff Kasper  Organizers: Dan Horn, Leonel Ponce, Yasmeen Abdallah  Sponsors: Material for the Arts (NYC Office of Cultural Affairs), ORLI+, Fractured Atlas

Questions? Contact: Laura, lss2165@tc.columbia.edu

Click here for tickets and more information