THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY

Organizer: Greg Stone

 

Participants:

Karly Anderson, Kristi Arnold, Becky Blosser, Michelle Colbert, David DiMarchi, Myles Dunigan, Kristy Eden, Eric Euler, Marco Hernandez, William Kaplan, Nathan Pietrykowski, Mark Raymer, Brandon Sanderson, Landon Schmidt, Greg Stone (organizer), Chadwick Tolley, Lisa Turner, Brad Vetter, Georgia Ward-Collings, Johanna Winters

ABSTRACT

Originating in the Old Testament, “the land of milk and honey”  is a reference to the promised land of Israel. The saying is synonymous with a fertile land or place where there is always more than enough of everything. Unfortunately, in a contemporary society reliant on fossil fuels and natural resources, whose detrimental effects on the climate increases exponentially with its growing population, this so-called land of plenty is a thing of the past. While global awareness of human environmental impact is increasing, the problems facing the planet are only just beginning to be addressed. From global warming to dependency on natural resources, mankind is being forced to face the facts and come up with solutions to the problems we have created.

 

This portfolio tasks artists to examine the human environmental impact on the planet and how society has come to alter the landscape through endless consumption. How are we responding to the myth that is the “land of the plenty”? What are the positive solutions to counteract the negative effects we have on the climate and how are they being implemented or contradicted? How can the planet we call home be preserved while finding an answer to a growing population with increasing needs? Artists are not limited to a contemporary interpretation of the theme, but open to view the concept through a historical lens, portraying what the “land of milk and honey” has long symbolized, or look towards the future and what might become of the landscape if our ecological footprint goes unchecked.