The Project

“Majel's Elderflora world premiere, presented by the Seattle Symphony in the Octave 9 Raisbeck Music Center, inspired me to connect the public with the lush old growth forests that covered this region pre-colonization to inspire people to protect what little remains in the Emerald City. Majel Connery and Kaley Eaton generously offered to perform and create space to bring art and activism together as the culmination of Majel's Cornish residency, choosing to benefit The Last 6000 campaign.

I envisioned a collaborative life acknowledgment illustrating the interconnective support trees give to wildlife, climate, and humanity.

Our starving and polluted Southern resident orcas depend on large trees to clean and cool their water and protect their Chinook salmon food source. Only 73 Southern Resident orcas remain. Many species of birds, like bald eagles and merlins, prefer to only nest in the tallest conifers which are often the first to go in the current development culture. Humans benefit from 12-25°F cooler air in the shade of trees, cleaner air, slope stabilization, reductions in cortisol, reductions in stormwater runoff, and more.

I deeply believe that we can have housing and protect the remaining large trees when enough people make their voices heard.”

— Jennifer Godfrey, Seattle Symphony Musician and Activist

The Event

Join Cornish College of the Arts and Majel Connery for a coming together around live music and the exploration of how art and activism intersect. Join us on Saturday, September 28th, 2024, from 3-4:30pm, block party-style outside the Cornish Commons at the corner of Lenora Street and Terry Avenue, in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. If it rains, the event will take place inside the Cornish Commons at 2025 Terry Avenue.

The Art of Activism will raise funds for The Last 6000 campaign, whose mission is to identify, map, document, and advocate for Seattle’s remaining large urban trees as development and city growing pains put large trees at risk.

The event will include musical performances by vocalist, composer, and Chair of the Cornish Music Department Kaley Lane Eaton, and vocalist and composer Majel Connery, followed by a panel discussion exploring the craft of climate messaging, social impact, and how to make art that matters. Panelists include Taha Ebrahimi, author and illustrator of Street Trees of Seattle: An Illustrated Walking Guide (Sasquatch Books 2024); Josh Morris, Urban Conservation Manager at Birds Connect Seattle; and Kersti Muul, Urban Conservation Specialist, wildlife field biologist, and artist. Our panel will be moderated by professor, ecologist, and fine artist Jack DeLap. In addition to the live program, there will be visual art exhibits onsite.

Stop by, experience amazing performances, and listen to an engaging discussion. Take time to peruse the visual art exhibits and enjoy the block party atmosphere.

Tickets

Instead of tickets, The Art of Activism will collect donations for The Last 6000 campaign. We welcome donations anytime before or after the event here on our website. Volunteers will be available to collect donations at The Last 6000 campaign information table during the event.

Thank you for your support of Seattle’s urban trees!