The University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment (IonE) has approved a Mini Grant to support a new interdisciplinary pilot project called “Conversation-E: Science+ Art in Dialogue and Service to Sustainability.” Conversation-E will engage artists, writers and scientists in conversation and exploration of the research at the Cloquet Forestry Center surrounding the issue of global climate change and its effects on the ecology of the climate-sensitive NE Minnesota forests . The results will include an art/literature/environmental education exhibition and panel discussion based on that collaborative work at the IonE Commons Gallery. The work will also be shown and presented at the Cloquet Forestry Center and encourage community involvement. The purpose of all this, beyond rich conversation and sharing of insights, is to find ways to engage the public with the work at Cloquet on issues of global climate change. Conversation-E is a pilot for how Institute on the Environment can creatively collaborate across disciplines and with outside partners to foster innovative and effective public outreach about the work of its researchers. The name, “Conversation-E,” is inspired by the roots: “convers-at-IonE,” pointing to the opportunity to expand the interdisciplinary conversations already at the Institute to better integrate the arts. The “E” is for Environment, one of the most critical conversations of our time.
Interdisciplinary Project Team
Investigators
- Peter Reich, Department of Forest Resources, Regents Professor Distinguished McKnight University Professor, F.B. Hubachek, Sr. Chair in Forest Ecology and Tree Physiology, Resident Fellow, Institute on the Environment
- Jonee Kulman Brigham, Research Coordinator Center for Sustainable Building Research, MS-Sustainable Design Faculty, College of Design, Associate Fellow, Institute on the Environment, Co-Founder of GATE
- Roslye Ultan, Liberal Studies Senior Faculty, Independent Curator, Board member, Minnesota Association of Environmental Education, Director and Co-Founder of GATE
- Rebecca A. Montgomery, Associate Professor, Department of Forest Resources
Advisory Group Members
- Julie Athman Ernst, Associate Professor, Director of Master of Environmental Education Program, Center for Environmental Education, University of MN Duluth
- Lee E. Frelich, Department of Forest Resources , Research Associate and Director, The University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology
- Beth Mercer-Taylor, Sustainability Education Coordinator
- Emily Peters, Research Associate, Institute on the Environment
- Daniel Philippon, Associate Professor of English, University of Minnesota, past president of the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment
- Carrie Pike, Interim Director of Operations, Cloquet Forestry Center, Research Fellow MN Tree Improvement Cooperative
- Virajita Singh, Senior Research Fellow/Adjunct Assistant Professor, Leader of Design Thinking Area at the College of Design, and Design for Community Resilience at the Center for Sustainable Building Research
- Okey Ukaga, Executive Director, Northeast Minnesota Sustainable Development Partnership, University of Minnesota Duluth
- Dawn Newman, Regional Director, Extension, U of MN Extension Regional Center, Cloquet, MN
- Kristen Poppleton, Director of Education, Will Steger Foundation
Community Partner: GATE (Green Art Together Evolving) is an organization with a mission to engage the arts in environmental issues and dialogues. GATE is led by Co-PIs Roslye Ultan and Jonee Kulman Brigham. GATE will seek additional funding to enhance the project.
Please Join the Conversation – We are seeking a variety of participants: - artists, writers, scientists, and community members. Participation is open to faculty, students and the larger community. Participation ranges from generating work for the exhibition, to community dialogue, to signing up on the mailing list to watch what unfolds.
Contact Jonee Kulman Brigham at kulma002@umn.edu
or Roslye Ultan at ultan001@umn.edu
