Legacy of Work: Generational Environmental Art and Activism in East Austin

This panel will discuss the issues of environmental racism and systemic injustices over the last 30 years in East Austin and the legacy of P.O.D.E.R. In a city that is otherwise praised for its access to nature and clean living, we will discuss how the BIPOC populations are affected with limited to no resources to fight back against urban redlining, gentrification, and pollution. The generational torch has been passed to our communities through education, advocacy, arts, and action.

Speakers:

• Raasin Mcintosh (Founder and Executive Director of Raasin in the Sun, Co-Founder of Be the Change Studios, and Director of Arts and Cultural Programming for the Downtown Austin Alliance)
• Susana Almanza (Founding Member and Director of PODER: People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources, Member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council)
• Daniel Llanes (Performance Artist, Earth Culture Dancer and Community Organizer)
• J Muzacz, social practice artist, community art advocate and educator and Co-Founder of The Mosaic Workshop at Something Cool Studios
• Frederico Salles do Mar, Musician and Program Coordinator for Caminos Teen Art Program

The Mural Arts Institute is hosting a two-week long series of events exploring the intersection of environmental justice and art. Building upon the work of artists and activists stewarding this work across the country through the Arts and Environmental Justice Capacity Building Initiative, Mural Arts Philadelphia is bringing together conversations, workshops, and events that highlight transformative cultural practices and participatory public art that shift ecological, political, and social experiences of front-line communities.

This annual symposium invites you to engage with how creative people and practices are helping us explore the intersection of racial, environmental, and economic justice and meeting the specific calls of the moment. Please join us in person for a full day of programming at the Free Library of Philadelphia on September 14, and at hybrid events hosted in Austin, Bakersfield, Philadelphia, and Santa Fe from September 12 - 23, 2022.

The Mural Arts Institute is supported by The JPB Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.