Marfa Dialogues / New York & NRDC Announce Maya Lin and Frances Beinecke in Conversation

NRDC Joins More Than 30 Leading Cultural, Academic and Advocacy Organizations Involved in Interdisciplinary Project to “Spark a Citywide Conversation about Climate Change”

New York, NY – The Natural Resources Defense Council will present Maya Lin and Frances Beinecke in Conversation on Monday, November 4th as part of Marfa Dialogues/NY, a two-month series of events beginning this October that will examine climate change through the lens of culture, bringing together disparate audiences across New York City by combining science, activism and artistic practice.

Two of  the leading voices on the issue of climate change—artist and honorary NRDC Trustee Maya Lin and NRDC President Frances Beinecke—will discuss the critical role artists, advocates and scientists play in addressing climate change, the role of art in mobilizing and educating the public, and the great potential for environmentally focused artwork to affect climate change policy. The interactive discussion will use Maya Lin’s most recent project, What is Missing? as an example of collaborations to engage the public about climate change. Maya Lin and Frances Beinecke in Conversation will take place Monday, November 4th at 6pm at the WNYC Greene Space and will be live-streamed through NRDC’s website, http://www.nrdc.org/marfa-dialogues.  Anne Pasternak, president and artistic director of Creative Time will moderate the discussion.

NRDC is one of more than 30 institutions participating in Marfa Dialogues/NY. The two-month calendar of events features a mix of environmental panels, live theatre, major art exhibitions, installations, community forums, musical performances and more – all accessible to the public and available via broadcast and digital media. A calendar of events is available at www.marfadialogues.org.

“Art has a unique ability to help people imagine new and innovative ways to protect the environment,” said Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “And that makes art a potent addition to NRDC’s traditional tools of science, litigation, and advocacy.  I’m delighted to have this opportunity provided by the Marfa Dialogues to explore the power of art to mobilize the public around climate policy.  And I’m honored to have this conversation with Maya Lin and Anne Pasternak, who are visionaries in the realm of art and activism.”

Marfa Dialogues was co-founded in 2010 by Ballroom Marfa, a leading contemporary arts center in Far West Texas, and The Public Concern Foundation (PCF), a New York non-profit devoted to the advancement of public education around social and political topics. Marfa Dialogues was originally conceived as a symposium to broaden public exploration of the intersection of art, politics and culture. This year’s Marfa Dialogues/NY is made possible by a grant from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.

 “Marfa Dialogues/New York is an effort to help broaden the public conversation around climate change,” said Hamilton Fish, President of PCF. “The special character of the project is that we engage artists and people from the creative community with journalists and scientists and other experts.  The result is a more accessible public exploration of a complex but critical issue, and we reach a wider and more diverse audience.”

For more information on NRDC, please visit www.nrdc.org.  For the most current calendar of Marfa Dialogues/NY events and additional information about partners and programs, visit www.marfadialogues.org.