I Got Cancer Living Downwind of Trinity

Tina Cordova, American

I Got Cancer Living Downwind of Trinity, 2023

This sign was created and held in protest by a New Mexico resident named Tina Cordova, founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, an organization raising awareness about victims of the 1945 Trinity Test, in which the United States military exploded the first atomic bomb in preparation for the use of this destructive new technology on Japan during World War II. The test released plumes of radioactive toxins and ash – among them 10 pounds of plutonium – which began diffusing into the atmosphere and landing in the surrounding area that 13,000 called home. The radiation in the area was 10,000 times what the CDC claims currently safe and allowable in public, and yet these unsuspecting victims received no warning or compensation for their tragic involvement in this event. This careless wartime experiment ravaged the environment and the health of its residents irreparably, even generations later. Label by Jackson Schiminger

Water is Life

Isaac Murdoch, Anishinaabe (Ojibway)

Water is Life, 2016

Murdoch’s print is most commonly seen held in the hands of activists protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline, which could leak and pose a severe threat to the communities that depend on the water, particularly indigenous communities. The print contains imagery of the Thunderbird Woman, which is a prominent figure in oral histories of many different Native American traditions. The one pop of color in the piece is a red heart on the Thunderbird Woman’s chest, seemingly representing that the core of this issue is about protecting the livelihoods of their community—put simply, “Water Is Life,” which is displayed in bold. Label by Courtney Hand

The World's Last Living Tree

Aditya Birla Group, Indian

The World’s Last Living Tree, 2019

This piece was made using air ink, paint made from exhaust pollution removed from the atmosphere in India. With 14 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities, India suffers greatly from the invisible killer air pollution. By creating art supplies from pollutants, Aditya Birla Group fights air pollution with air pollution, raising attention to a worsening global problem. Not only does this piece creatively address air pollution, but it also calls to the viewers’ attention another environmental justice concern: the destruction and commodification of nature. It depicts an apocalyptic future where we have destroyed all but one tree, engendering the viewer with a sense of urgency. Label by Jordan Hadlock

Flint Water, Signed Bottle

William Pope L, American

Flint Water, Signed Bottle, 2017

This work was presented during the Flint water crisis as a demonstration at What Pipeline, an artists collective space in Detroit. The demonstration involved the artist Pope L bottling Flint’s contaminated water and selling signed bottles to visitors at the collective. The proceeds from the bottles go to organizations helping Flint access clean water. The project called attention to the lack of drinkable public water in Flint, which forced many people to rely on filtered and bottled water. Pope L used his name recognition as an artist to bring money and attention to Flint. The signature on the bottle made the pieces attractive to collectors who appreciate Pope L's work even if they don’t have interest in the Flint water crisis. Label by Becca Gurysh