Page 57 - Dark Matter:Women Witnessing Issue2
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Working on this project, I have noticed that as we bear witness to the immensity of change in our
communities, climate change becomes less of an abstraction. Whether it is flooding or fire, deep
freeze or searing heat and drought, increasingly many of us have stories to share.
It is fear of change, fear of grief, fear of the implications of grief that is immobilizing us, hardening our
hearts. Let us face the dark, bear witness, and share our stories. Let us dare to imagine anew,
recognizing that as in any relationship, if we love the environments in which we live, we must give back
as well as take. Let the tears flow, let us howl in anguish and rage, and let us act.
Ruth Wallen is a multi-‐media artist and writer with training in
environmental science whose work is dedicated to encouraging
dialogue about ecological issues and social justice. She has had
innumerable solo and group exhibitions as well as created several web
sites and outdoor interactive “nature walks.” Her work is currently on
display at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. She has published
critical essays in journals such as Leonardo, Exposure, High
Performance, The Communication Review, Tikkun, and Women's
Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, as well as two anthologies. She is
on the faculty of the MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts Program at Goddard
College and was a Fulbright lecturer at the Autonomous University of
Baja California, Tijuana. Web site www.ruthwallen.net.
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