Adaptation

A change in structure, function, or behavior by which a species or individual improves its chance of survival in a specific environment.
See: Radioactive Blueberries (Feral Atlas)

Resiliency

The ability to withstand hardship, adapt and growth through adversity, and emerge with greater strength than before the hardship.
See: Jellyfish polyps (Feral Atlas)

Environmental Justice

The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens.
See: Got Green


Image: 'Acceleration', by Feifei Zhou with Amy Lien and Enzo Camacho. Courtesy Feral Atlas

Image: Invasion (detail), by Feifei Zhou with Nancy McDinny and Andy Everson. Courtesy Feral Atlas 

Our theme for winter/spring 2021 season, Adaptation, Resiliency, and Environmental Justice, emerged from the realization that the process of making art and the experience of being a student both come with great challenges and new possibilities in the Covid-19 era. We cannot safely gather in the community spaces of classrooms, theaters, or music venues. We have experienced and born witness to economic devastation, racial inequities, insecurity of healthcare systems, the violence of failing political systems, and a changing climate that has wrought havoc on our more-than-human world.   

However, art making, activism, and academic study persists and provides a refuge and space for reflection in this time of isolation. Artists, performers, and activists are on the cultural front lines of helping us understand the melding of the "before-time" of Covid with the possibilities of the future through new forms of digital and adaptive storytelling.

In bringing students and artists together in conversation we hope to create a new community formed with a foundation of resiliency and persistence shared by all.

We invite you to reflect on your own stories of adaptation, resiliency, and the struggle for environmental justice as you join in conversation with the artists of our 2021 winter/spring season.