Art for Earth’s Sake: The Art World Meets the Crisis
Sunday, October 2, 2022
Ahmanson Auditorium, MOCA Grand Avenue
5pm 
With Bonnie Brennan, Russell Fortmeyer, David Nussbaum, Debra Scacco, and Michael Wang 
Moderated by Alex Sloane

Support for environmentally conscious art is surging, declared the NYT in early 2022, noting that more than a dozen exhibitions explicitly confronting climate change had been on view in cities from Santa Fe, N.M., to Singapore. MOCA itself has entered the conversation, with the establishment in 2020 of its Environmental Council. But is it enough to make chest-thumping art about climate change? What about the art world’s own contribution to the mammoth human-made carbon footprint–through boundless travel (private jets for art fairs!) shipments, post-installation waste; and through its financial entanglements, from philanthropic support from dirty industries to its role as a commodity in late-capitalism? Art for Earth’s Sake opens with a broad look at how the art world can use its outsized cultural influence to bring about change inside and out of the art industry. 

Is it time to focus on local artists, and cultivate more regional art communities? Or go global while staying in place, with a little help from holograms?

Art for Earth’s Sake is organized by Frances Anderton, Producer, with Livia Mandoul, Associate Producer

MOCA’s environmental programming series highlights the museum’s work around climate, conservation, and environmental justice. Guided by the work of the MOCA Environmental Council, the first sustainability council at a major arts museum in the United States, this series presents artists, activists, and scholars committed to critical ecological issues in Los Angeles and globally.

The 2022 series is made possible by Nora McNeely Hurley and Manitou Fund.

Get ready for your visit!

• MOCA recommends all guests to wear a surgical, KN95, N95, or KF94 face mask while on MOCA premises.
• Do not visit MOCA if you are feeling sick, have a fever, or have had any symptoms of COVID-19 or exposure to someone with COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
• Maintain physical distancing. Stay 6 feet apart from other visitors and staff.
• Follow all signage and staff instructions.
• Visitors will enter the galleries based on capacity. Early/late entry will be based on capacity.
• Food, drinks, backpacks (even if they are backpack purses), and large bags are not allowed in the museum. We do offer free bag check. 
• Service animals are welcome at MOCA. Please note that pets and emotional support animals are not permitted. We are happy to accommodate ADA Service Animals in our galleries.
• Wheelchairs are available for check-out at the reception or lobby desk. Just inquire with a friendly MOCA Gallery Attendant when you arrive on-site. Wheelchairs will be wiped down with sanitizing supplies between uses.