Climate resiliency art to be unveiled this Thursday in Upper Township
STRATHMERE — The Schiavo Library and Ocean City Arts Center are working together to teach the community of Strathmere about climate resilience through visual art.
Following two workshops, an installation is scheduled to be unveiled during a ceremony at 5 p.m. July 20 in conjunction with the Wetlands Institute’s terrapin release program sponsored by the Strathmere Fishing and Environmental Club.
The OCAC secured a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and state Council on the Arts to operate a community-based program that addresses the theme of climate resilience and coastal flooding through original site-specific art work and was paired with an artist who was a recipient as well. The grant is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The program provides a way to expand the mission of the OCAC by bringing educational art to the public through collaboration with residents in Longport and Strathmere. The Longport phase of the project was completed recently.
The workshop at the Schiavo Library was intended to educate community members on climate resilience and how they can safely share the shore with wildlife. The artist hired through the grant is Jessica Osborne-Mungekar of Fine Cement Craft.
Osborne-Mungekar has been actively making sculptures for nearly five years. She earned a BFA in art at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. She later received her master’s degree in social work from Temple University in Philadelphia.
The workshop started with a brain-storming session in which participants sketched out what they would like to contribute to the overall project. They then gathered around a large sphere and painted the images.
The sphere represents the ocean, sand and air — the ocean being the bottom layer, the sand being the second and the air being the top layer.
“I knew in my heart that my work would be a great match for this climate resilience project. I have been in awe with the community members of Strathmere for their ability to tell their stories about coastal flooding through art-making,” she said. “It takes courage and a level of comfort to openly make art that will be appreciated by others in the community.
“Their understanding and passion for protecting their communities and the animals they share it with is evidenced by the art created. It has been a pleasure and honor to have been given this opportunity, and I hope to have more like this,” she said.
Participants ranging in age from 5 to 17 were split into two groups of six to design what they were going to create for their section of the sphere.
They painted turtles, crabs, birds, dunes and people, all demonstrating the community coexisting and sharing the shore with the animals.
“I have been coming down to the Jersey shore my entire life. I want my kids to be able to enjoy the environment their whole lives. We love going to the beach and this is just a great way to teach them about our environment,” said island resident Jim Bonner, who brought his twin girls to the worksop.
“It’s very important for kids to know about the environment. Just having the knowledge of knowing what to do in case of a flood is very important to know,” said Angela Sulla, who attended with her children.
Once the sphere is finished it will be displayed in front of the Schiavo Library for the community to see.
For more information on the Schiavo Library, visit strathmerelibrary.org. To learn more about the artist, go to finecementcraft.com and to learn more about the Ocean City Arts Center, visit oceancityartscenter.org.
By CAMRYN SCHULTHEIS/For the Sentinel