To celebrate Earth Day and offer ideas on saving the planet’s resources, the landscape architecture program opened a call to action to Aggies with two walls, black paint and a lot of chalk.
In the days leading up to Earth Day, landscape architecture students designated two canvas areas in Carver Hall – one on each floor of the building – for their fellow classmates and others to write out, draw or express their thoughts on one premise: “How would you invest in our planet?”
Professor Dallas Bretzman, a lecturer in the program, said the inspiration behind the “expression walls” came from New Orleans-based artist Candy Chang, whose participatory public artwork, “Before I Die,” has been replicated in more than 75 countries in an effort to get the public to engage in thought-provoking prompts across public spaces.
“As landscape architects, we activate public spaces outside,” said Bretzman. “We sort of built on [Chang’s] idea and wanted to activate our building.”
The building itself, Carver Hall, will be undergoing renovations next year, giving Bretzman and the landscape architecture program an opportunity to “reactivate our space with one last hurrah.”
Landscape architecture students began painting the canvases on Apr.19. The following Friday, Earth Day, volunteers from the landscape architecture program – including students, faculty and staff – arrived that morning to christen the walls with environmentally sound ideas, drawings or concepts. Writings and sketches varied from recycle bins, bicycles, bees and thrift clothes to buzzwords such as “solar energy” and “protect our pollinators.”
Of the students who added their additions to the chalk walls, some offered their thoughts on Earth Day and the environment.
“As the Earth gets older, it can’t handle what we’re doing to it,” said freshman Bryant Wesson. “We have to take care of it as much as we can. We have to cherish the things that aren’t replaceable. You can’t replace the Earth. We have to take care of it as long as we can, so it can take care of us.”
Greg Goins, Ph.D., works on a chalk drawing during the event.
Sophomore Carington Light offered similar comments relating to landscape architecture.
“As a student, our major is to make sure we’re not creating a lot of effects on the planet as we’re making our designs,” said Light. “So thinking about your environmental impact is pretty cool as you’re doing it.”
According to Bretzman, the “expression walls” are intended to stay up at least one week after Earth Day to allow others to write and draw out their ideas.
