When I was younger, the children's museum was the premier destination for a day trip. While I sadly don’t do this very often anymore, I’ll always take the opportunity when it comes up. The visual arts have never been my primary creative outlet, but I find myself being an observer rather than a creator more and more. Outside of the crucial context and stories featured inside the pieces, it made me remember why I used to pour so much time into this medium. Everywhere I looked, I saw intentionality that was up to our interpretation. The idea that every piece came from a place of intentionality during its creation, and to then have it displayed with no guarantee of that intention landing with the viewer made every work seem like an act of self-sacrifice. I wonder if artists regret sharing these things. An installation that stuck out to me was the Steve Locke Gallery, a multi-media walkthrough exhibit aptly titled, “the fire next time.” Striking doesn’t carry the intensity needed to convey how it felt to see the pieces in this. I haven’t escaped the drawing of Trayvon Martin’s murderer since that trip. The weight that a seemingly unassuming sketch has carried for me is immense. Our focus on the American Caste system pushed the issue of racial violence back to the forefront of my mind, and reading the sprawling list of names of those murdered by soldiers of this system just during the creation of this exhibit reaffirmed how vital developing an understanding of these issues is.

Striving to be a global citizen requires an effort to promote global health. I believe that I make an effort to be environmentally conscious, but I excuse quite a bit with the idea of the unavoidable. It feels like plastic and other pollutants are so inherent that it gets overwhelming to take a step back and see just how much waste you produce in your day to day. I can exclusively use reusable bags and water bottles, conserve water, abstain from fast fashion, recycle, re-purpose, donate, and make a conscious effort to do my part, but the moment I start unwrapping cellophane I wonder what I should be doing instead. I reject the apathy in statements around something being entirely out of my hands so why even bother making small changes, but plastic seems to persist in spite of my metal water bottle. The Plastic Bag Store was an engaging and effective way to educate people on the environmental crisis, but it lacked in a key area: solutions. I walked away with an understanding of the issue, but that doesn’t do much on its own. I don’t think it’s inherently detrimental to provide a deep view of the problem and allow it to serve as the starting point for learning about solutions, but that will always be supplemental. My big issue with the presentation of this was that it was standalone. I don’t giving a pamphlet on the way out to fulfill this nebulous request for a solution is the answer, but using the many positives of this format to do something like that would have made it feel like a more complete experience. I’ve focused on my criticisms of the exhibit, but it absolutely deserves its flowers for its many strengths. There’s not much to say about the artistry, it’s truly one of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen. The visuals were captivating, and the uncanny nature of the store didn’t distract from the messaging, only adding to the impact. It’s not easy to educate and entertain, and the balance struck in this was great. I say this to circle back to my main criticism, the issue is highlighted, but what now? The UN resource was a perfect example of how to educate on truly difficult topics and leave the reader with a hopeful call to action. The seemingly hopeless nature of climate change deters many