ABOUT US

EARTH ART STUDIO is an arts movement conceived by artists, Sylvia Grace Borda and J.Keith Donnelly,  to examine the role of land art in creating a positive series of actions to impact climate change. The artists are inviting writers, artists, critics, activists, community engaged groups, planners, engineers, landscape architects, designers, horticulturalists, farmers, the public and anyone with a passion about the environment into a global collaboration about how to incorporate climate design practices directly into land management and nature preservation.  The artists believe 'we stand stronger together through the Arts and Nature.' 

Sylvia Grace Borda is the founder of Climate Arts for Resilient Environments (C.A.R.E), Women4Climate Fellow, and an advocate about the role of the arts can play in supporting both the built and natural environment.

​She is an award winning artist recognised in Canada and abroad for her exploration of photography, including drone video, Google Street View, 3-D film installation, net art, architecture, and  eco-art works often produced in the context of community engagement and sustained social benefit. 

​Sylvia’s works respond to questions of value. Her working processes are about attempting to add/shift value of how her subjects are considered by the public. As an artist, she often selects what appear to be topics unworthy of social or aesthetic response.

Sylvia lives and works on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. She  acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and  Elders where she lives and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Indigenous peoples across the globe.
J.Keith Donnelly is a Scottish interdisciplinary visual artist working across a range of media. Keith is particularly well known for his sculptural accomplishment, observational,+ architectural drawings, and is also a trained botanical artist. He completed his certificate of Botanical Arts from the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh in 2016.
 
Over the last 5 years Keith has been working on public art research and project work in Canada, Latvia, and Finland. He has been shortlisted for key visual art commissions over this year for UNESCO World Heritage site at Kinnell House (Antoine Wall), Vasiant Developers Edinburgh, and Dundee City walkways program in Scotland. He has been engaged in the climate arts in recent through several projects including the production of Snow Cameras at Mustarinda Arts Centre, Finland (2016), Apple mural sketches for Serde Arts Centre, Aizpute, Latvia (2016-17), Flora plates, Pollock House, Glasgow, to name a few.  He is a Saltire Award winner for Architectural ceramics, one of the highest awards assigned to an artist working in the built environment. 

Trees for Life COLLABORATORS

The following collaborators are engaged in delivering 'Trees for Life' project bringing expertise across disciplines from public art delivery to the development of horticultural systems and establishment of sustainable agribusinesses  

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John Gray Planner (Public Art), Dundee City Council​, Scotland
John Gray has been facilitating public art projects for the City and benefit of Dundee residents over the last 30+ years. His work has fostered many artists' careers and also assisted city planners to deliver and pioneer culturally rich and diverse civic projects over the years. Dundee City Council has been committed to delivering public art from its inception to add to neighbourhood histories, cultures and identities while also being economic drivers for regeneration, diversity, and inclusion. Dundee’s Public Art programme continues to evolve by seeking new ways to position artists to contribute to community and residential developments as well as community health + well being. 

Dr Deborah Henderson, Director, Institute for Sustainable Horticulture (ISH)​, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC, Canada
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Deborah_Henderson4

Dr Deborah Henderson is recognised for her active research programs in biological and non-chemical management strategies for pests to advance agriculture towards ecologically sound alternatives. She has held agri-research and development grants from Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Organic Science Canada, Investment Agricultural Foundation, Agricultural Science Cluster, National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), to name a few. ​ 


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Image: Plant nursery being established at ROBA


Hussein Kaliyo Watta, Director and Co-founder, Rural Organization for Betterment of Agro-pastoralists (ROBA), Kofele, Ethiopia

Hussein has more than 20 years of experience with Humanitarian Aid, Relief, Rehabilitation, and Rural Development Projects in Africa:  Ethiopia, Namibia, Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Sudan. He notably has also acted as an evaluator of the World Vision Ethiopia and Ethiopian Afar Area development and South Wollo Emergency, ZOA Refugee Care programs. 



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Dr H Henderson's research at ISH develops microbial biocontrols and environmentally sound bioproducts with agricultural industry partners. Her work and team have collaboratively specialised in the development of biocontrol options. It has both research and capacity to share beneficial fungi and insect viruses specific to geographic locales.

Trees for Life ADVISORS

We are honoured to have a number of highly respected and experienced forest conservation, arts and land restoration experts and writers as advisors for Trees for Life project
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Nura Mohammedata Beshir, Lecturer, Addis Ababa University (EiABC)
Nura is both an academic and practicing professional working on Master Plans, Urban Designs and Landscape Design projects for a renowned Ethiopian consulting group With a B.Sc. in Urban and Regional Planning and M.Sc. in Environmental Planning and Landscape design, she is well known for her research projects on climate change-related issues including sustainable stormwater management, urban heat islands and urban agriculture. Nura also led the inaugural co-ordination and launch of the Addis Ababa Women4Climate Mentorship Program in 2019.
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 Dr Paula Blair is a researcher and writer of contemporary film and visual culture. https://shows.acast.com/avculture
Jenna Graham, Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC, Canada
Jenna is examining agricultural biocontrols for soils in Southwestern Canada and Ethiopia.
A big thank you to all the young people, teachers, schools, specialists, plus everyone else that continues to help and inspire us along the way as we  continue to research and collaborate with partners on current and new co-authored arts and nature based projects!
Who’s behind the project?
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​Trees for Life project has been supported by the British Council’s Creative Commissions 2021 programme.
This was a series of creative commissions exploring climate change through art, science and digital technology for presentation at COP26.
Trees for Life continues (2021 - to present, now under the name 'Living Artworks') as an active artists-community collaboration and illustrates that land rehabilitation doesn’t need to be expensive. We understand the benefit of trees to the land and that people can assist in creating better soils and future-proofing sites from climate issues by planting trees.

Living Artworks and Tree Circles also highlights that sustainability is dependent on the motivation and generosity of citizens, communities, artists, and scientists working together to redefine the challenges of climate change and to foster the next generation with the idea that we can make an impact through climate art and other creative approaches.

Living Artworks and Tree Circles project are co-led by climate design and media artists, Sylvia Grace Borda (Canada) and J.Keith Donnelly (UK) together with partners Ethiopia (ROBA – Rural Organisation for the Betterment of Agro-Pastoralists ) in the UK (Dundee UNESCO City of Design, Dundee City Council, Scotland),  and Canada (Institute for Sustainable Horticulture, Kwantlen Polytechnic University) to creatively respond to global issues of climate change.  ​
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How to cite this project

Borda, S., Donnelly, JK, Watta, H, Aman, G  Bashir, N.   2020.  Living artworks.   Educational Resource [web and print].  Funded by the British Council Creative Climate Commission for COP26.   These materials are under creative commons licence CC By SA. 

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