A local environmentalist hopes to continue her contributions to Okotoks' environmental awareness efforts through her art.
Wasan Jema, environmental specialist with the Town of Okotoks, aims to raise awareness on Alberta's drought conditions and what people can do to make a difference.
The piece, titled Thirsting Land!, "portrays the harsh truth of Alberta’s Stage 4 drought, capturing the stark reality of our environment’s plight. Through visual expression, this artwork serves as a poignant reminder, urging awareness, urgency, and action to address the profound impact of drought on our ecosystem."
The art's depiction of a skull cracking apart "illustrates the profound connection between our land and ourselves," said Jema. "Droughts and other environmental devastations inevitably impact us... We are part of a single social-ecological system, and it is crucial for us to be mindful of our actions.
"We need to keep ourselves up to date with government updates in terms of water conservation and water conservation tips, plus the water management plan stages," she said. "We are in Stage 4 now, and we could maybe soon reach Stage 5. We don't want to reach that far."
The sculpture is Jema's entry for the sixth annual Nooks & Crannies Festival which brings 17 public art installations to downtown Okotoks from July 20 to Aug. 24. According to the Town of Okotoks, the festival "sees artists repurpose and animate forgotten places with ‘forgotten’ materials, bringing public art to forgotten corners of downtown Okotoks."
According to Jema, the sculpture was made from materials retrieved from the Foothills Regional Landfill and Foothills Salvage & Recycling Society, including a Christmas tree base, a used curtain bar, a used display box and a Styrofoam head.
This isn't Jema's first time participating in the festival to promote environmental education. In 2022, her entry depicting a goose nest negatively affected by plastic pollution won the festival's Best Environmental Message award.
"I am a regular participant in Nooks & Crannies," she said. "I'll try to give different ideas, based on the trends at that time, just to focus more on the idea and to send the messages to the people, so they pay more attention to the current issues in the environment. This year, we have this water drought problem in Alberta."
As a component of Thirsting Land!, spectators are invited to submit their own ideas for water conservation to take part in a draw.
"Just looking at this sculpture, maybe it will help you rethink how to conserve water," said Jema.
Participants can go to The Duchess on Elma, where the artwork is located, and submit their tips. On Aug. 23 at noon, a draw will be held and one winner from the pool of submitted tips will receive a $50 gift card.
"We just want to do our due diligence and follow these tips so that we can conserve water and teach our kids to do that," said Jema. "Don't underestimate your actions, even if it is very simple and easy."
