First, get the word out that you are interested. I was delighted to find out that you
were raising this issue. I've been working on connecting artists and their work to
issues relating to land, food, water, and animals, intensely for the last eighteen
months. I didn't know this organization was working on the subject.

One thing to consider would be inviting artists who have been addressing issues
related to advancing sustainablility to speak, or participate in panels. Perhaps, a
call commissioning works on themes related to sustainability. I would also be
willing to help for a project group to work on this issue if there were enough interest.

It would also be great to creat an online archive of resources, and I know people
who could do such things, again, if there was interest, and people willing to put
time into it. It could be part of the above project group, or a seperate group.

I am most familiar with photographers and musiciains, but know some people
working in theater, dance, and painting whose work connections. There are also
quite a few Indigenous artists and Canadian artists who have been working on
these issues for quite some time, as well as a wide array of artists if one adopts
an international perspective.

Anyhow, I look forward to dialogue about how this could develop.

There are a lot of artists interested in sustainability, although identifying and reaching out to them is something we need to do more of, even here at Berklee College of Music. This year country musician Kathy Mattea came to speak about coal mining and perform songs off her new album dedicated to the subject: http://www.berklee.edu/news/3207/berklee-riffs-kathy-mattea-on-coal

She's also a presenter for Al Gore's Climate Project. I'm sure you could find other artists like her who would love the opportunity to speak to a larger audience.

Art Group Recommendation ....

We have been bringing a Los Angeles art group to Oshkosh WI for the past two years to conduct sustainability-related art activities and education for our Earth Week Events. The organization is called RuckusRoots (http://ruckusroots.org/). Some of my colleagues and students joined Christine Spehar from RuckusRoots for a panel at the AASHE Pittsburgh meeting about those events: TRASHFormation and Bike Bash. They have also worked at bigger events, like Coachella. I strongly recommend them for the AASHE 2012 in their home town.

I would love to see a room set aside to be an art gallery. Make a call out to students who are pursuing an art degree and have been focusing on incorporating sustainability into their art pieces. It could be photography, sculptures, painting, clay. and so on. Then it would be cool if those students were at the conference, and a panel were to take place, giving the students a chance to discuss how sustainability can be threaded into their art and how it is part of how the art field is moving forward. This would not only educate those attending the conference, but this would help the students to get real life experience in being part of an exhibit, and discussing/answering questions about their art.

I run an organization that focuses on the intersection of sustainable development and the arts, as well as being affiliated with California Institute of the Arts. I'm gauging my ability to participate in the conference, but also like to help in this arena.

Thank you to the 5 posters on this thread for your ideas on how AASHE can engage more arts & culture programming at AASHE 2012. Our conference committee has taken these suggestions into account as they plan the 2012 event.

One result is that the conference will incorporate more videos than ever before - including a film screening - as well as a number of other arts-related events. In addition, special consideration will be given to any session proposals submitted within the arts and culture focus area.

Here are a few key links:

1) Arts & Culture page - contains instructions for arts-related presentation submissions and for proposals from potential exhibiting artists.

2) AASHE Events newsletter - contains updates on special arts-related and other events - including field trips - being planned for AASHE 2012

3) conference@aashe.org - email any questions or suggestions to this address and you'll hear back soon from an AASHE staff member.

4) CicLAvia - taking place Sunday, Oct 14, this is a chance to blend arts & culture with a focus on bicycling and other human-powered transport.

One of the best ways you can help out, besides participating yourself, is to spread the word in your arts circles about these new opportunities for AASHE 2012. Thank you!