Andrea Bowers, March 2026:

Ecological grief emerges as a response to environmental destruction and the climate crisis. Through my practice I channel mourning into visual form, transforming sorrow for damaged ecosystems into drawings, videos, and archival research. I situate personal and collective grief within broader systems of political resistance by collaborating with environmental activists and referencing real-world struggles, including the legacy of the brilliant Earth First! founder Judi Bari.

I could write thousands of words explaining Judi Bari’s history, her impact on environmental policy, and the ways she inspires me, but no one could say it better than her:

“It is not surprising that I, a lifetime activist, would become an environmentalist. What is surprising is that I, a feminist, single mother, and blue-collar worker, would end up in Earth First! a ‘no-compromise’ direct action group with a reputation of being macho, beer-drinking, eco-dudes. Little did I know that by combining the more feminine elements of collectivism and non-violence with the spunk and outrageousness of Earth First!, we would spark a mass movement. And little did I know that I would pay for our success by being bombed and nearly killed, and subjected to a campaign of hatred and misogyny.”  

—Judi Bari, History is a Weapon, 1992

Through hand-rendered texts, neon, and images, I honor endangered landscapes and frontline defenders like Judi Bari, while expressing the idea that grief can be a positive, generative force. Reframing ecological loss as both lamentation and a catalyst for justice, Grief Hope (2020), on view outside this window, acknowledges grief can open space for hope and collective resilience.

In my practice, Grief Hope is among the rare artworks that evolved into a call to action, rather than the reverse. In January 2025, artist Kathryn Andrews, gallery directors Ariel Pittman and Olivia Gauthier, and I co-organized the grassroots fundraiser we called “Grief and Hope” in response to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires that destroyed homes and studios of artists in neighborhoods such as Altadena and the Palisades. The campaign was started to provide direct financial support to artists and art workers who lost homes, studios, and essential tools of their practice. We used my artwork to name the fundraiser and its image as our logo.

We hoped to raise $500,000. The fund quickly met and then exceeded its goal, ultimately raising $1.6 million, which was distributed directly to hundreds of community members connected to the arts who were affected by the fires. Donations were collected through a GoFundMe campaign, later administered by The Brick, a nonprofit organization and exhibition space. Through a large network of supporters, the funds and additional mutual aid were distributed with minimal barriers to those with needs, highlighting solidarity within the art world in the wake of the disaster.