Sally Gordon discusses the grant that made the upcoming climate change art exhibit possible in Malden

MALDEN, MASS — Our Warming Planet: Visions of a Sustainable Future is an upcoming art exhibition presented by Creative Malden, Coffee Shop Artists, and the City of Malden. This collaborative event aims to explore the intersection of art and science by inviting artists to interpret themes of climate change and sustainability through diverse mediums such as photography, painting, paper art, fabric art, and mixed media. The exhibition will align with Malden’s Climate Action Plan, which outlines local strategies to address environmental challenges and promote sustainability. With an open call for submissions, artists are encouraged to creatively engage with these themes and use their work as a catalyst for meaningful conversations within the community.

Today, we talk to Sally Gordon, a co-organizer of the event, 13 days before the opening day of the exhibit. Below is a summary of the conversation.

The success of the upcoming Our Warming Planet exhibition was significantly bolstered by a grant secured by Sandy Felder from Creative Malden and a board member of Coffee Shop Artists. Sally credits Sandy for connecting the artists with the city and helping them gain access to the mayor and city council. This collaboration has broadened the base of support for the exhibition and expanded its reach. Unlike previous exhibitions, where submissions were sometimes sparse until the last minute, this show has seen overwhelming interest. “We have over 40 artists, many of whom have two works submitted… so we have over 70 pieces of artwork to display,” Gordon said, noting the diverse range of works that span both climate change impacts and sustainable solutions.

As an artist, Gordon works primarily in paper collage, making her own paper rather than purchasing commercial materials. “In a sense, that’s kind of recycling,” she noted, explaining that she repurposes materials to create her art. One of her pieces for the exhibit depicts three windmills, incorporating an unexpected material—window screen tape—to realistically portray the wire mesh found on Dutch windmill blades.

Another of her works draws inspiration from her Jewish heritage and the holiday Tu Bishvat, which celebrates trees and encourages their planting. She explained, “On that day, especially in Israel, they plant trees… Israel is one of the top tree planters in the world.” In this spirit, she created a piece featuring her “Mitzvah Mice,” small paper-crafted figures engaged in planting trees. This artwork aligns with Malden’s Climate Action Plan, which includes urban reforestation efforts. “I thought that would be a good image to do,” she added.

Gordon hopes the exhibit will spark curiosity and reflection among viewers. She emphasized that each artist was asked to provide a statement explaining how their work connects to climate change and sustainability, encouraging visitors to engage with these interpretations. “Hopefully, people will take time to read—maybe not all of them, but at least the piece that captures their attention—and think about the value of the work in relation to climate change,” she said. Her ultimate hope is that the exhibit will inspire individuals to consider their own actions. “What can I do? Small, but still make a difference. That’s what I’m hoping.”

References:

Creative Malden

Climate Action Plan (CAP)

CS Media Lab

mlab@saicollective.org

The CS Media Lab is a Boston-anchored civic science news collective with local, national and global coverage on TV, digital print, and radio through CivicSciTV, CivicSciTimes, and CivicSciRadio. Programs include Questions of the Day, Changemakers, QuickTake, Consider This Next, Stories in Science, Sai Resident Collective and more.

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