Art with a message: Where to check out 35 ‘Cool Globes’ scattered around Charlotte
The Instagram post announcing a call for artists seemed to speak directly to Charlotte artist Norma Gely. The exhibition was focused on humans’ relationship to our planet, something she’s often considered.
“I’m obsessed with our fingerprints,” said the 30-year-old Puerto Rican-born artist. “They begin as a small spiral and grow from there. I think it’s not a coincidence that the middle of the inside of a tree has the same shape.”
“We are part of the earth,” she said. “It is in us. I thought if I could help make that connection, people might care for the planet more.”
In her proposal to be part of the Cool Globes public art exhibit Gely said she wanted to “inspire a stronger emotional bond with our surroundings.”
Seven Charlotte globes
Gely’s proposal was accepted, and her artwork is now part of Cool Globes Charlotte, unveiled June 25. The exhibit features 35 globes, seven of which were created by local artists. Each Fiberglas relief globe is 5 feet in diameter and adhered to a cement base by a metal pole.
In addition to Gely’s “United Fingerprints,” other local artists and their work are:
▪ Max Dowdle, “Don’t Cook the Planet”
▪ Britt Flood, “Innovative Sustainability”
▪ Rosalie Grubb, “Ditch the Drive; Rock the Ride”
▪ Jackie London, “Sustainable Textiles”
▪ Rosalia Weiner, “Recycling”
▪ Climate Justice Group, students from Trinity Episcopal School led by teacher Jen Rankey-Zona, “Listen to the Children”
Other globes come from artists all over the globe. They’ve been featured in previous Cool Globes exhibitions from Chicago to Copenhagen and from Washington, D.C. to Rio de Janeiro. Charlotte is the 23rd city to play host.
Art with a message
Wendy Abrams, an environmentalist and social activist, founded Cool Globes in 2007. It premiered in Chicago in conjunction with the Field Museum of Natural History and Mayor Daley’s Office of Environment.
More than 3 million people came to see the 125 globes that comprised the installation. Forty were auctioned when the exhibition closed, and proceeds went to the city. Gely said her globe has already been purchased by corporate sponsors – LendingTree and Spectrum – and will have a permanent home in a South End apartment building.)
Abrams’ goal was to start a conversation in Chicago about climate change. “It’s a hard, heavy topic,” she said. “You can’t see it or touch it. The solutions aren’t easy. So, we wanted artists to focus on positive, upbeat messages — things anyone can do. We wanted people to see that the solutions are right in front of us.”
She assumed it would be a one-time deal.
But she soon got a call from someone in Geneva who wanted to bring Cool Globes to the Swiss city. Abrams’ idea turned into a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of climate change. It’s equal parts public art and call to action.
The route to Charlotte
“I have civic-minded cousins in Charlotte,” Abrams said.
She’s referring to Deidre Grubb, and Deidre’s husband, Clay. They’re among Charlotte’s most philanthropic families.
A year and a half ago, they took the Cool Globes idea to Discovery Place, and soon, a number of individuals, corporate partners, nonprofits, and the city were involved. Trane Technologies Charitable Foundation signed on as presenting sponsor.
“I love having corporate partners,” Abrams said. “It says a lot when a company wants to put their name on this.”
It doesn’t say that the company has all the answers. It does say the company is willing to make changes. EA Logistics, a trucking company that was a corporate sponsor for Cool Globes Chicago, changed its business model after transporting the globes from artists and to the exhibition site, Abrams said. “They shifted to alternative-fuel trucks and changed their routes to make more right turns, which uses less fuel,” she said.
Abrams and Cool Globes CEO Megan Scarsella came to Charlotte for meetings and were inspired by the level of commitment city leaders had.
“We had 17 people in the room from the city, Discovery Place, Charlotte Center City Partners, local environmental groups and arts groups,” Scarsella said. “Wendy and I were blown away by the level of commitment.”
Arts+, the Arts and Science Council, the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, ArtPop Street Gallery, and Clean Air Charlotte all played a part in making Cool Globes happen.
A contact-less exhibition
Before the coronavirus took hold, Cool Globes was supposed to open in April in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
“Fifty years ago, we knew the environment was a precious resource,” said Catherine Wilson Horne, Discovery Place president and CEO. “Today, the issue is even more urgent.”
Like all museums across the state, Discovery Place is temporarily closed. But Cool Globes is an outdoors installation, so there wasn’t a need to postpone it. “It’s a contact-less exhibition,” Horne said. “We encourage everyone to visit while maintaining a safe distance and wearing a mask.”
The message inherent in that word of caution – We’re all in this together – is a lot like the messages on the globes. Though each message is unique, they remind viewers that everyone plays a part in combating climate change.
The spirals on Gely’s globe, painted in acrylic (her favorite medium) represent something beyond fingerprints and trees: hurricanes. “They help regulate global temperatures,” Gely said. “They’re important to the health of the ocean, where entire coral systems are dying.”
If you feel like Gely and her globe are speaking directly to you, it’s because they are.
Chill Out
What: The Cool Globes outdoor public art exhibit.
Where: 31 of the 35 globes are on North Tryon Street between Trade and E. 11th streets. The others are at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, the U.S. National Whitewater Center, BB&T Ballpark, and Camp North End.
When: Through Jan. 3, 2021
Cost: Free
Details: coolglobes.org
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