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Art at the Edge

Waterfront Alliance

For the fourth year, Waterfront Alliance harnesses the power of the creative arts to call attention to the dangers of sea level rise and the urgent need for greater coastal resilience. This free outdoor art exhibit, Art at the Edge, in the Seaport (Pier 16/South Street Seaport Museum), captures New York and New Jersey artists whose work is thematically tied to climate change to inspire, inform, and engage the public about the urgency of the climate crisis. Visitors will have the opportunity to absorb art focused on the climate crisis, including the intersecting themes of coastal resilience, waterfront access, and the region’s maritime culture and history.

 

The exhibit features two photographic exhibitions: On This Site by Jeremy Dennis and Gowanus Dredgers by Nicole Vergalla.

 

Art at the Edge was launched in 2020, and features the work of local artists for a multi-week period each year. The program is generously supported by The Howard Hughes Corporation and the South Street Seaport Museum.

Artist Talk | Climate Art: Inspiring Awareness and Action

In addition to the exhibition, as part of Climate Week NYC, Waterfront Alliance’s 2023 Art at the Edge artists Natalie Collette Wood, Nicole Vergalla, and Jeremy Dennis were joined by the Columbia University Climate School’s Adela Gondek for a panel exploring the various media to bring climate awareness. Among the topics explored were: How does art help translate difficult climate concepts to the general public and spur action? How can artists support the work of climate activism? Which climate issues would be fruitful for creative exploration?

Artist Statements

Jeremy Dennis’ goal is to preserve and create awareness of sacred, culturally significant, and historical Native American landscapes on Long Island, New York. Through curiosity about his own origin and ancestral history, Dennis gathers and combines archaeological, anthropological, historical, and oral stories to answer essential cultural defining questions: Where did my ancestors live? Why did they choose these places? What happened to them over time? Do these places still exist? To seek the answers to his questions, Dennis researches, visits, and photographs each site, documenting the change in each landscape and highlighting the everlasting connection between place and memory. As a revelation, these sites remain but were made invisible.

Visible on the web and in a self-published book, On This Site creates a new opportunity for self and communal reflection upon our assumptions and stereotypes regarding indigenous and colonial shared history on Long Island. Sharing this research will begin the process of communal awareness and cultural enlightenment, which leads to cultural critique, historical inquiry, and educational development. Photography as an entry point to history invites curiosity. Both indigenous and non-indigenous viewers will likely be unfamiliar with both the landscapes and histories associated with each site. From an indigenous standpoint, there is a need and an importance behind this project; a desire for cultural acknowledgment and understanding regarding indigenous presence. If nothing else, the project reinforces the idea that Native people existed throughout Long Island for more than ten thousand years. We are still present here today, and will continue to be here.
Nicole Vergalla’s photographs are part of her “Gowanus Dredgers” collection—shot in and around the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. She writes, “I began to take photographs of the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club in 2017 after coming across their annual fundraising race. My wanderings in the city began to focus more and more on the canal and its surrounding areas. I was fascinated by the dual essence of the Gowanus—a Superfund site, with a history marked by neglect and abuse, entwined with recreation, wildlife and joy. As I got more involved with the Dredgers I came to love and really embrace their mission to get the public active and engaged in our local waterways. When people see the City from the water, it changes their perspective. They notice wild pockets at dead end streets, they see how sewer overflows impact the quality of the water, they observe wildlife surviving and even thriving in surprising places. I believe that by encouraging people to actively engage with our waterfront, we create future stewards and advocates for the ecosystem we all share.”

Waterfront Alliance is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization with a growing coalition of more than 1,100 partners with the shared goal to bring about real change to shorelines, waterfronts, and coastlines across the nation and in the New York-New Jersey region. Together, they build, transform, revitalize, and protect accessible waterfronts for all communities.

Howard Hughes_primary-logotype_1c-black_rgb 2022 (2)
featuring

Jeremy Dennis & Nicole Vergalla

Exhibition Dates

September 8 – 23, 2023

Produced by

Waterfront Alliance & Photoville

With Support From

The Howard Hughes Corporation & the South Street Seaport Museum

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