For an excellent view into the window – or many windows – of how Berkeley High students view the state of the environment and what we humans are doing to it, consider stopping by the featured Art/Act: Youth exhibition at Berkeley’s David Brower Center.
The exhibit, which runs to Sept. 12, marries environmentalism and art into creative and often impactful modes of expression. A close-up view at what looks like a reproduction of Hokusai’s famous “Great Wave” painting, for example, reveals the wave is made of plastic trash. Another work features a large strawberry overlaid with a skull and crossbones above the words “Methyl Bromide” in large black letters.
Not all of the works are dire and somber. Some strive for hope and beauty, and several take on a variety of forms that appear to raise more questions than answers.
“There is something powerful about knowing that a young person is thinking deeply about important issues and conveying what they think through an artistic viewpoint,” says Laurie Rich, Executive Director of the David Brower Center.
The exhibition is curated by Berkeley High art teacher Kimberley D’Adamo Green and features work by students in art and digital photography classes.
The Brower Center and its gallery are open weekdays 9-5.
Below are a few images from the show:
