Laurie Palmer
Environmental Justice and Art Project in Bakersfield
Laurie Palmer traveled with EASP graduate student Natalie Zajac and former PhD student in Feminist Studies, Vivian Underhill, to Bakersfield to participate in the creation and performance of a community-based public art project titled WE ARE HERE/ ESTAMOS AQUI. Lead artist Michelle Glass organized the production of a 2500 foot long banner, colored with natural dyes, to demonstrate the 2500 foot setback between residences and new oil wells that medical professionals recommend. Right now the legal setbacks are only 300 feet. Over one hundred community members, from environmental justice organizations, youth programs, and senior Zumba groups, participated in making, assembling and creating a procession with the banner in Panorama Park, overlooking the oil fields. Laurie has been a consultant for the collaborative project over the last year and a half. Natalie created a mini-documentary of the two-day event.
"A Partial Glossary, for Visiting the Lichen Museum" in Papers on Power
Laurie Palmer's "A Partial Glossary, for Visiting the Lichen Museum" was published in Papers on Power, a compilation of essays commissioned by the Center for Art Research at the University of Oregon: https://centerforartresearch.uoregon.edu/papers-on-power-2/