Artist Ellen Rutt holds community art build for Detroit's Global Climate Strike event — here's how to get involved
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Earlier this year, when the Midwest was experiencing record-low temperatures dubbed the polar vortex, President Donald Trump tweeted the following: “What the hell is going on with Global Waming? [SIC] Please come back fast, we need you!”
While the out-of-touch Cheeto-in-Chief tweets into the abyss, a global youth-led movement is calling for immediate action from elected officials. The Global Climate Strike, which takes place Sept. 20-27, encourages people to mobilize the message by leaving work and school to “disrupt business as usual” as there is no “planet B,” the organization's website reminds.
The Detroit iteration of the Global Climate Strike will take place on Friday, Sept. 20, starting at 3 p.m. at Circus Park at Woodward and Adams avenues. The event will host an open mic portion before marching to Hart Plaza.
"We need young people to win the struggle for climate justice," Brooke Solomon of Detroit Area Youth Uniting Michigan (DAYUM) said in a statement. "And the best path to youth involvement is with youth leadership, particularly young Black and brown people who are on the front line."
Detroit artist and climate justice advocate Ellen Rutt has teamed up with the Sunrise Movement (the youth-focused organization behind the Green New Deal) to host a community art build for those looking to create posters and banners for Friday's strike.
“Climate change is an enormous issue and it is easy to feel helpless. The act of collectively making things is one of my favorite ways to stay engaged and empower each other that environmental justice is worth fighting for — we owe it to younger generations,” Rutt says, adding, “At its core, this event is a chance to find joy in the urgency. We have a lot of work ahead and joy is the best antidote to burnout.”
Rutt, who unveiled her climate and connectivity solo show titled This Must Be the Place at Eightfold Creative in July, will lead the workshop to be held Wednesday, Sept. 18, and Thursday, Sept. 19, at Rutt's Detroit studio located at 560 Custer St. Though supplies will be provided, people are invited to bring their own materials. The event is also a potluck.
For more information about the Global Climate Strike, visit globalclimatestrike.net. To connect with the Detroit event, visit the official Facebook page, and to learn more about Rutt's art build, visit the event page here.
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