The Community Arts Network website is gone, so we're going to move on to the next group on our list: The Beehive Collective. I will tell you all about this group when we meet for class, which might be more effective than me writing about it here. The Beehive Collective was the topic of my doctoral research and dissertation, so I know quite a bit about it. For now, I'd like you to go to their website and explore. You'll soon see what a phenomenal group of artists they are.
The Beehive's art is very complex, so for this assignment I'd like you to focus only on their latest graphics campaign: "The True Cost of Coal." This doesn't mean that you can't look at their other work, which is listed under the drop-down menu, "Graphics Campaigns." The group has been active for over 12 years, and so they have generated quite a lot of material. Again, the extreme complexity of their illustrations cannot be overstated. You must look and look at every detail, for in their work even tiny details are integral to the larger story being told. The Beehive Collective specializes in raising public awareness of real issues by educating viewers through pictures which function as visual metaphors. In this way, their work transcends any particular language.
Using the "Graphics Campaign" drop-down menu, selection "The True Cost of Coal." Scroll down the length of the page so you see everything. You'll notice the campaign is made up of three primary parts: a poster, a narrative booklet, and educational events known as picture-lectures delivered in person by members of the collective (who are constantly touring North, Central and South America).
The Poster
First look at the full poster by clicking on the link, "Click Here to view the Web Viewing sized poster." To get an idea of what it looks like "in person," imagine this image printed on a very large swath of fabric - a banner. The Beehive Collective uses these banners in picture-lectures and other public events. The image is also available on paper and can be ordered from the website.
Use the little magnifying glass icon to zoom in on sections of the banner. You will see lots of animals who are all doing things. Each animal represents something. To understand what the animals are doing, who they represent, and what all this has to do with mountain top coal removal in Appalachia, you must read the narrative booklet.
The Narrative
Download the pdf booklet, "The True Cost of Coal: Mountaintop Removal & The Fight For Our Future," read it, and answer the following questions:
1. A lot of research went into the creating of this graphic. Who are some of the organizations that helped the Beehive Collective, and what do they do?
2. Who makes up the "cast of characters" in this poster? Why were they selected?
3. Briefly (4-5 sentences min.) state the historical background of today's mountain top coal removal situation in Appalachia.
4. What is "mountain top removal"and why are people against it?
5. How does the Beehive's graphic (poster) visually represent the full death cycle of coal?
6. In your own words, characterize the political viewpoint of the Beehive Collective artists.
Please make time to give this your full attention and thoughtfully respond to these questions.
Thank you!
1. While there are many organizations that have helped the Beehive Collective, these are a few that I looked into.
ReplyDeleteAurora Lights works with local projects to connect communities and the environment. They want to restore natural balance to promote sustainability.
Christians for the Mountains is a religious environmental movement that is working with returning the Earth to it’s natural balance. They are working heavily to end mountaintop removal. They utilize religion to gain a spiritual awareness of the environment.
Keepers of the Mountains is a foundation that wants to educate and inspire people to work towards sustainability in mountain communities, which means ending mountaintop removal.
United Mountain Defense is a volunteer organization that strives to protect Tennessee’s environment. They are working to stop the practice of mountaintop removal.
2. The cast of characters consists of both flora and fauna that exist or existed in the forest of the Appalachian Mountains. There are hundreds of “characters” throughout the poster from the White Oak and Red Maple to the Field Cricket and the Bumblebee. All of these characters were chosen for the poster because they are important to the ecology of the Appalachian Mountains. These characters are important to the livelihood of the environment and form a “familiar cast of characters in a beloved and threatened natural world.”
3. Coal was formed from the decomposing of plants over 300 million years ago. The Appalachian Mountains house the most biodiverse forest and coal rich lands. There have been countless peoples that have trekked through the area and the area was eventually colonized. The Appalachian Mountains also witnessed the Trail of Tears, seeing Cherokee Indians pushed out of their mineral-rich home. These minerals were desired and after the Indians were forced out, colonization was allowed to happen. And, so began the age of industrialization. Coal from the Appalachia area came to be harnessed and utilized for energy and profit. While the industrialization was welcomed by the powerful, there was resistance amongst the workers due to the poor working conditions and hardships of life in the coal camps. However, these coal miners’ lives were also mingled with stories and dancing.
4.Mountain top removal of coal is different than underground mining that required hand labor. The process uses explosives to expose coal seams that run through the mountains. The act of mountain top removal harms the soil and ecosystems. The chunks of the mountain are called “overburden.” The overburden is dumped into waterways, clogging up the passage of water. The areas where the mountain tops once towered are left flattened. People are against mountain top removal because it destroys renewable resources. A forest, a waterway, a mountain are all left decimated by MTR. The fertile top soil that has taken hundreds of years to become mineral rich is destroyed. The biodiversity of the area is also threatened with extinction and endangerment plaguing the local species. It runs even deeper in that “the fabric of community life-languages and dialects, skills for sustenance and survival, stories and songs- once unraveled through depopulation and degradation, are gone forever.” People are against mountain top removal because the process is harmful and can produce permanent damage.
5. The full death cycle of coal can be seen from the extraction of the coal from the Appalachian Mountains to the combustion of the coal to the waste. The extraction of coal is harmful to the environment, the combustion of coal is harmful to the environment, and the waste from coal is harmful to the environment. The place where coal belongs most, in the ground, is where it can now be found the least. The poster is able to show the full death cycle of coal along its horizon line. The graphic shows the biodiversity that exists in the Appalachian Mountains, and then shows the coal transported into its production. From there, the harmful effects and gases being put off can be seen and the effects are clear on the environment. The extent of the harm that MTR produces can be seen in the expanses of plants and animals that lace the page. The detail of the poster shows just how much of an impact mountaintop removal has on the environment.
ReplyDelete6. The Beehive Collective artists have an environmentalist viewpoint. They hold the importance of the environment, biodiversity, and natural life cycles above the use of harmful minerals like coal. They share the viewpoint of creating “a coal-free future.” They are working to raise awareness of the issues of pollution and mountain top removal.
1. Of all the organizations, I chose to focus on three specific ones.
ReplyDelete1a) Here's to the long haul. This organization focuses on ongoing movements for justice in the Appalachia and beyond.
2a) Rising Tide North America. This organization focuses on the climate change and ways to prevent the climate from getting worse.
3a)Thousand Kites Project. This organization focuses on the United States prison symstem. Their goal is to make it all in all, better.
2. The Cast of Characters exits or well existed in the dense forest of the Appalachian Mountains. The characters are both flora and fauna. However, those aren't the only characters. There are actually quite a few characters. These were chosen because they had a vital part in creating coal.
3. As stated, coal began to form around 300 million years ago in the Appalachian Mountains. Coal is actually formed by the decaying plant life and even some animal carcasses. However, the revolution happened and when this happened, the Cherokee tribe was removed from their treasured land so that the industrail period could start producing the coal that was there. Because of this, the Applachian Mountains are the home to the most rich coal.
4. Mountain top removal is extremely different than the traditional coal mining. The traditional coal mining uses more extreme man labor versus the mountain top removal which uses explosives such as dynamite. In this process, the top of the moutain is completely removed, harming the soil and air, in order to expose the coal below. Then, the coal is then removed by man labor. This process is becoming more and more popular because it does not require as much physical labor, but it does have its consequences because like I said, it does harm the soil and wildlife using it as a habitat.
5. The Beehive's poster vividly shows the full death cycle of coal so well. They show this by the coal coming from the Appaliachian Mountains, to the actual combustion of the coal, then finally to the waste of the coal. People get angered by coal mining because actually getting the coal causes so much environmental damage to the plant life and wild life. However, the harmful affects of coal do not stop there. The coal is also extremely harmful after it has been burned and created the waste. Coal is actually becoming more and more scarce in today's world, which is extremely sad and also somewhat frightening because our world today relies on the process of coal being burned.
6. I definetly think the Beehive Collection artists have an enironmentalist viewpoint as stated before. I believe this because everything they do focuses on helping the environment and finding ways to stop the harmful things going on. Also, thte organizations they associate with are pro helping the environment. Overall, their main goal is to get the world to understand that we cannot take our natural world for granted. We need to proctect it preserve it.
1. A lot of research went into the creating of this graphic. Who are some of the organizations that helped the Beehive Collective, and what do they do?
ReplyDelete*The Alliance For Appalachia is a collaboration of thirteen organizations in Central Appalachia working to bring an end to the devastating coal mining technique known as mountaintop removal.
* Appalachian Voices is an award-winning, environmental non-profit committed to protecting the land, air and water of the central and southern Appalachian region, focusing on reducing coal’s impact on the region and advancing our vision for a cleaner energy future.
2. Who makes up the "cast of characters" in this poster? Why were they selected?
This is made up of Flora and Fauna. These are both extinct and living organisms that are significant to the Appalachian Mountains for both ecological and cultural reasons. These organisms have become in danger because of the coal.
3. Briefly (4-5 sentences min.) state the historical background of today's mountain top coal removal situation in Appalachia.
Coal started forming 300 million years ago. As the years went on Native Americans lived in the lands where coal was. During the early America days, coal was found and the Native Americans were pushed out of there homes and urbanization started to form. Towns became cities, and populations grew as well as the coal waste and pollution.
4. What is "mountain top removal” and why are people against it?
This requires less hand labor making the physical work easier and less dangerous. Though it is harmful to the environment and wildlife around it and that is one of the reasons why it has become so unpopular.
5. How does the Beehive's graphic (poster) visually represent the full death cycle of coal?
It shows the coal coming from the mountain and the trickle effect that goes a long with it. It starts off with small things that just get bigger and bigger through out the poster. The devastation is haunting.
6. In your own words, characterize the political viewpoint of the Beehive Collective artists.
This group is strongly environmentally focused. They can about the wildlife and the after math of what coal is doing to the planet. They are also culturally sensitive and care about restoring historic places and culturally important areas.
1. Of all the organizations, I chose a few to focus on:
ReplyDelete-Rising Tide North America. They focus on the climate change and preventative methods for keeping the climate from worsening.
-Christians for the Mountains is an environmental movement that is working to end the removal of mountaintops. Their ultimate goal is to return the Earth to its natural balance. They are also considered to be a religious environmental movement.
2. The Cast of Characters existed in the Appalachian Mountains. They consisted of flora and fauna. These organisms have become endangered because of the coal.
3. Like as others have already stated coal was formed over 300 years ago. It formed from decaying plants and animal carcasses. The Cherokee Native Americans were pushed out of their homes and experienced what history now refers to as the trail of tears. The revolution had started and life was becoming more urbanized.
4. Mountaintop removal has become a more popular technique for extracting the coal from the mountains. It requires less manual labor than the traditional method. Dynamite is used to destroy the top of the mountain, and therefore this harms the soil and wildlife surrounding. This method is easier on men, but has risks involved.
5. The Beehives graphics fully shows the death cycle of coal because it shows not only the destruction involved in extracting the coal but also the effects afterwards. The entire process becomes worse and worse as the cycle continues.
6. As everyone has previously stated, this organization definitely has an environmentalist approach. Their goal is create awareness among people to what is happening to our natural world.
1.The Christians for the Mountains is a religious environmental movement that works to return Earth to a more natural place. They are trying to end mountaintop removal and they use religion to gain awareness. The other one is the Aurora Lights who work with local projects to connect communities and the environment in hopes of restoring natural balance. Finally, the United Mountain Defense is a volunteer organization who protect Tennessee’s environment in hopes to stop the practice of mountaintop removal.
ReplyDelete2. Flora and fauna are characters in the forest of the Appalachian Mountains. There are many characters throughout the poster from the White Oak and Red Maple to the Field Cricket and the Bumblebee. These characters are important to the ecology of the Appalachian Mountains and to the environment.
3. Coal was formed from the decomposing of plants. The Appalachian Mountains have a forest and coal rich lands. The Appalachian Mountains also witnessed the Trail of Tears. These minerals were desired and after the Indians were forced out, colonization was allowed to happen. Later, industrialization came and coal from the Appalachia area came to be harnessed and used for energy.
4.Mountain top removal of coal is different than underground mining. Explosives were used to expose coal seams in the mountains. The act of mountain top removal harms the soil and ecosystems. The overburden is dumped into waterways that stop up water ways. This destroys renewable recourses. Top soil that has taken hundreds of years to become mineral rich is lost. People are against mountain top removal because the process is harmful and permanently damaging.
5. The full death cycle of coal is the extraction of the coal from the Appalachian Mountains then the combustion of the coal to the waste. The extraction, combustion and waste of coal is harmful to the environment. The poster is able to show the full death cycle of coal. Also, the harmful effects and gases being put off can be in the environment. The expanses of plants and animals on the poster also show who the harm is done to. The detail of the poster shows just how much of an impact mountaintop removal has on the environment.
6. The Beehive Collective artists have the perspective of an environmentalist. The importance of the environment, biodiversity, and natural life cycles above the use of harmful minerals like coal. Together they are working to raise awareness of the environmental issues of pollution and mountain top removal.
1.
ReplyDeleteA)Alliance for Appalachia- is thirteen organizations working to bring and end to the coal mining. They also want a clean, renewable source of energy!
B)Mountain Justice-they want to raise world wide awareness of montain top removal mining, debunk the myth of "clean coal" and unify the different groups fighting mountain top removal.
C)Appalachian Community Fund-is is publicly supported mom profit organization that wants to find the "underlying cause of poverty in central appalachia"!
2. The most importan cast of characters would be Flora and Fauna! They are extremely important to a variety of reason to the mountains! There are many other characters that are very important as well.
3. Over 300 million years ago, plants were decomposing into ferns, horsetails, and clubmosses. Photosyntheses captures the solar energy that powers many of our things today. 50% of the coal we use today in the U.S is done through this process
4.The Mountaintop Removal affects more than just destroying the mountain. It involves climate change, animals habitats and families. It puts people out of the job with the new machines and can make people ill. Coal is not a renewable resource so it is literally has no benefit to our world except providing us with a source of energy...but I honestly think its worth it..
5.We can see the coal being taken from the mountain, its strength and vaule destroyed and taken, and the rest left to harm the enviroment, us and the animals...The death of coal is contagious and is even more toxic to the things it is affecting!
6.It is an environmentalist viewpoint! Every detail in this picture screams out the truths and harm being caused by destroying the mountain and using the coal. It does a very good job of appealing to my love for animals because you can see their lives being destroyed with an underlying cry of how it is harming are people and our land!
1.Mountain Justice: This group focuses on providing awareness of Mountain Top Removal mining and its effects.
ReplyDeleteBlue Ridge Earth First: Their mission is protect and preserve mother earth.
Sludge Safety Project: The goal of this group is to improve the health and safety of people living in the area of coal waste storage sites.
2.The cast of character is made up of the wildlife that inhabits the forest of the Appalachian Mountains. There are two main categories of characters though, the fauna and the flora. The characters where chosen because they are significant to the environment of the mountains. The book says “both ecologically and culturally”.
3.Coal was produced from the decomposition of plants 300 million years ago. Native Americans were living in the areas where the coal had formed. When coal was found there the Native Americans were pushed off their land. America started urbanization around this time. As America grew into towns and eventually cities coal waste and pollution started growing as well.
4.Basically it is the removal of very diverse ecosystems from their habitats. Mountaintops are being cleared out completely. I think that people are so against it because again these are very unique and complex ecosystems that are being destroyed. Also, our landscape is being turned from breathtaking beauty to basically naked landscape in our country.
5.The full death cycle of coal is combustion, consumption, and climate chaos. The poster illustrates this because to me it looks like it builds up from the bottom up. The initial combustion of the coal being produced and everything is still calm and fine. Then the consumption of all of the coal in the environment which leads to the destruction of the natural resources. And lastly the climate chaos because there is no more coal, the environment is not balanced any more. There is complete chaos among the population, which I think is represented well by the dark section at the top of the poster.
6.I would definitely say that the Beehive Collective artists are taking the political point of an environmentalist. Their main goal is to spread awareness about and make an impactful stand for the environment specifically where the mountaintop removal is occurring.
1. there are many orgainzations involved with this group. One being the Christian’s For the Mountains this group is a Christian group that is protecting the mountain tops. Another organization involved is the Auora Lights; this organizations goal is to improve humans relationships with their natural enviornments.
ReplyDelete2. The cast of charectors is mostly made up of flora and fauna. They are the two main charectors in the story and poster. They are endangered by the production of coal. There are many other charectors that are also important in the story having to do with being in danger because of the coal.
3. The coal was originally formed 300 million years ago. It was formed from decomposing plants. The Native Americans lived on this land. Eventually Americans pushed them away from their own land and began to industrilze the areas. Turning them into cities, factories and other things
4. Mountain top removal is a different way to get coal from the mountains. It is more safe for workers and requires much less physical labor. Although it is more harmful to our environment and to the moutains themselves.
5. The poster is helpful in the sense that we see everything at once. We are able to physically see the entire processes. As well as see all of the harm that it causes to so many different elements of the mountain and wild life and everything else around it.
6. The bee hive collection artists are all very aware of the environment and want to save nature. I would say they are all enviornmentilists and want to do their part in saving our community all around the world. They also want to use their art to raise awarenesses to how we all can help!
1. Climate Ground Zero, Aurora Lights, Coal River Mountain Watch, Here’s to the Long Haul, High Rocks Camp for Girls, Mountain Justice, SEAC, and Wisdom Keepers.
ReplyDelete2. Creatures and organisms that make up the Appalachian Mountain ecosystem. These characters were chosen because they are very important to the Appalachian mountain community. People who live in this area hunt and farm these organisms and they help to sustain life on the Appalachian Mountains.
3. Coal used to be the main source of energy for people. It caused many discrepancies between groups of people like the Native Americans and Settlers and was even a factor in the trail of tears. Many miners, close to 50,000 used to work down in the mines. Today only about 15,000 continue to mine coal in the Appalachian Mountains.
4. MTR is the removal of coal and the surrounding area to access the coal. MTR pollutes water sources and alters land that can never been useful or back to its original form ever again.
5. The coal is never able to replenish itself. Once it is brought out, it is lost forever.
6. The political viewpoints of the artists’ are liberal environmentalists. They are very concerned about the preservation of the nature around them instead of furthering our way of life.
1.Several organizations are involved; a couple are, Mountain Justice and Blue Ridge Earth First. Mountain Justice is a group who focuses on spreading awareness of Mountain Top Removal mining and the effects of it. The Blue Ridge Earth First is trying to protect and preserve mother earth.
ReplyDelete2.Fauna and The Flora make up the characters. They were chosen because they are “both ecologically and culturally” significant of the mountains.
3.Coal began forming 300 million years ago from decaying plants, and animal carcasses. Urbanization happened at the tops of the mountains after the coal was found. This created “The Trail of Tears” while pushing the native Indians out of their homes. The coal was used for energy and profit for the new comers. Although a large profit was turned by mining coal, because of the hazardous working conditions life of a coal miner was very hard at the camps.
4.Mountain Top Removal has its benefits by being less extrentiuos of manual labor, but also has many environmental hazards because of the dynamite used to blast the rock away.
5.The Beehive’s poster paints the full death cycle of coal very well. The coal begins at the Appalachian Mountains, then the coal is combusting, and finally becoming waste. Coal mining causes controversies because of the harm to the environment. Coal mining is harmful to plant and wild life, and when coal is being burned, it is hazardous to the air we breathe, and finally the coal creates hazardous waste.
6.The group’s goal is to widely spread around the word to save and protect our environment. Because of this, the group is extreme environmentalist.
1. Several organizations are involved with the beehive but some in particular that caught my attention were Christian’s For the Mountains,Blue Ridge Earth First, and The Alliance For Appalachia.
ReplyDeleteThe Christians for the mountains organization is a group of christian believers who protect the mountain tops. The Blue Ridge Earth first is an organization that mostly focuses on protecting mother eartch. The alliance for Appalachia is a organization that is trying to bring end to a devastating coal mind problem in Central America.
2. There are hundreds of characters throughout the poster from the White Oak and Red Maple to the Field Cricket and the Bumblebee, although fauna and flora are known to make up the characters. These characters were chosen for making a difference in the coal mind problem.
3. Coal began to form around 300 million years ago in the Appalachian Mountains. It is actually formed by the decaying plant life and even some animal carcasses. However, the revolution happened and when this happened, the Cherokee tribe was removed from their treasured land so that the industrial period could start producing the coal that was there. Since this happened, the Applachian Mountains are the home to the most rich coal.
4. Mountain top removal of coal is different than underground mining that required hand labor. people are against it because of the dynamite.
5. The poster has a very clear, vivid description of the full death cycle of coal. It shows where it began, the combustion of the coal and then the ending stage of it becoming waste.
6. The main goal of the Beehive collective artists' is to raise awareness and protect our environment.
1. Out of all the organizations there was to choose from I chose Thousand Kites project and Here’s to the long haul. The Thousand Kites project is an organization that is involved with America’s prison system. The organizations goal is to better the prisons in America. I had never heard of an organization doing something like that. The second organization called Here’s to the long is involved with movements for justice in the Appalachia along with other places as well.
ReplyDelete2. Flora and fauna are characters in the forest of the Appalachian Mountains. These characters were chosen for the poster because they are important to the ecology of the Appalachian Mountains. These organisms have become in danger because of the coal.
3. The Appalachian Mountains are filled with coal along with bio diverse plants. Coal was made from plants decomposing for over 300 million years ago. The coal found in the Appalachian Mountains are used for energy. Once coal was found to be profitable the work conditions in mines were very poor.
4. Traditional coal mining uses man labor while the mountain top removal which uses explosives such as dynamite. Mountain top removal is extremely different than the traditional coal mining in this way. Mountain top removal it is what is sounds to be; the top of the mountain is completely removed which then harms the soil and the air so that it will expose the coal. This process is becoming popular because it does not require as much physical labor, so it is cheaper but worse on the habitat.
5. The poster visually represents the full death cycle of coal. It shows the coal coming out of the mountain and shows the trickle effect. The extraction of coal is harmful to the environment, along with the combustion of coal. Everything about coal is harmful to the environment, and people need to realize this.
6. The Beehive Collective artists are involved with what is going on in the environment. The artists know the importance of our environment and can see what coal is doing to the environment and want to change it.