York Exit

NEW MONEY: Business Models for a Sustainable Future

a project of SEA (Social Environmental Aesthetics)
September 30-November 23, 2011
Opening Friday September 30, 2011/7-9pm

141 Eyewear, Jiasian, Taiwan Eye Clinic, Photo courtesy of Kyle Yamaguchi and 141 Eyewear

NEW YORK – Exit Art is pleased to announce NEW MONEY: Business Models for a Sustainable Future, a project of SEA (Social Environmental Aesthetics). This exhibition of videos, photographs, and socially conscious products highlights more than a dozen companies with business models that have environmental and social consciousness at their core, emphasizing sustainability and social responsibility. The companies and organizations included in the exhibit approach markets in new and innovative ways that foster cooperation, awareness, social and environmental justice, sustainability, philanthropy, stewardship, and humanitarianism.

BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDED IN EXHIBITION:
141 Eyewear; a.d.o.; Ahkun; Amani; Ecoigo; Ecoist; Ecovative; Interface; Kiva; Microplace; Mr. Ellie Pooh; MYC4; Of Rags; Our Goods; Out of Print; Playback; Raise India; UniquEco; WeWood; Zambikes

The One for One business model is as simple as it sounds: for each good purchased, a good is donated to those in need. With this “buy one, give one” philosophy, businesses enable their consumers to give something back in a transparent manner. Unlike other charity concepts, the One for One idea incorporates a form of philanthropy directly into its business model, proving that profitability and charity don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Though this concept may seem economically risky, many One for One businesses have been successful in pinning their hopes on the consumer’s conscience and willingness to pay more for their product in order to support a cause.

Building on human rights, Fair Trade businesses aim to ensure fair wages for producers in developing countries, which enable them to cover the basics of food, shelter, clothing, education, and medical care. By doing so, Fair Trade businesses directly counter poverty, the exploitation of workers, and “race to the bottom” practices. The Fair Trade model not only fosters direct person-to-person connections between businesses and producers but also intends to strengthen communities involved in the production of their goods. Many Fair Trade businesses support cooperative systems, in which producers hold shares in the business, enjoy equal returns from the market, and contribute to the decision making process. Often, revenues are reinvested into community development projects and education and empowerment programs.

Bartering networks enable individuals to offer their own resources in exchange for things or services they need. Instead of isolated competition, this business model strengthens the power of sharing and fosters a respect for skills and service. It also establishes a system for the reuse of goods based not on their monetary value but on the individual’s appreciation and need for the product. Mutual respect and trust are therefore key elements in the bartering system. While the monetary system has made exchange infinitely easier than the difficult task of matching one person’s needs with another’s resources in a small community, the rise of the Internet has enabled bartering networks to create larger markets where it is much simpler to match trading partners.

The impact of enormous economic and population growth, urbanization, and rapid consumption have led to climate change, ozone depletion, the fouling of natural resources, and the loss of biodiversity. Businesses built around the concept of sustainability make an enduring commitment to ecological principles in order to stop this environmental exploitation. By incorporating environmentally friendly practices into their production processes, these “green” enterprises strive to have little or no negative impact on the global or local environment. Instead the aim is to establish a balanced and non-exploitative relationship with the ecosphere, in which waste is properly disposed of and harmful emissions are reduced.

The majority of formal banks provide few financial services to low-income individuals. In some countries, more than 80 percent of the population has no access to financial services, making it difficult to start a business, buy a home, or attend school. Microfinancing attempts to fill that gap, by offering a way for individuals to lend money to impoverished people in order to help with sudden needs. Average people who want to support a specific project provide micro-loans; the microfinancing organization serves as an intermediary between recipient and lender and provides accountability and transparency for the transactions. By supporting an emerging low-income business, the lender receives his or her money back with an interest rate.

Social Economy Networks are development projects that form the missing link between different types of sustainable businesses. Committed to establishing an alternative economy, these networks aim to strengthen the relationships between bartering networks, fair trade shops and socially just businesses. Whereas some Social Economy Networks function as platforms for partnerships, others share their expertise and develop business models that serve as inspiration for other enterprises. Through education programs, lectures, or trade shows, they also raise awareness about sustainable business practices and demonstrate that a social and sustainable economy is possible.

NEW MONEY: Business Models for a Sustainable Future was conceived by Wilson Duggan and organized by Lauren Rosati and Verena Straub.

ABOUT EXIT ART
Exit Art is an independent vision of contemporary culture. We are prepared toreact immediately to important issues that affect our lives. We do experimental, historical and unique presentations of aesthetic, social, political and environmental issues. We absorb cultural differences that become prototype exhibitions. We are a center for multiple disciplines. Exit Art is a 29-year-old cultural center in New York City founded by Directors Jeanette Ingberman and artist Papo Colo, that has grown from a pioneering alternative art space, into a model artistic center for the 21st century committed to supporting artists whose quality of work reflects the transformations of our culture. Exit Art is internationally recognized for its unmatched spirit of inventiveness and consistent ability to anticipate the newest trends in the culture. With a substantial reputation for curatorial innovation and depth of programming in diverse media, Exit Art is always changing.

ABOUT SEA (Social-Environmental Aesthetics)
SEA is a diverse multimedia exhibition program that addresses social and environmental concerns. It assembles artists, activists, scientists and scholars through presentations of visual art, performances, panels and lecture series that communicate international activities concerning environmental and social activism. It provides a vehicle through which the public can be made aware of socially- and environmentally-engaged work, and a forum for collaboration among artists, scientists, activists, scholars and the public. SEA functions as an initiative where individuals can join together in dialogue about issues that affect our daily lives. Conceived by Exit Art Co-Founder / Artistic Director Papo Colo.

EXHIBITION SUPPORT
General exhibition support provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; Bloomberg LP; Jerome Foundation; Lambent Foundation; Pollock-Krasner Foundation; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn; and public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts.

EXIT ART 475 Tenth Ave at 36th St NYC / 212-966-7745 / www.exitart.org
Open Tu–Th, 10am–6pm; Fr, 10am–8pm; Sa, 12–6pm. $5 suggested donation.

FRACKING: Art and Activism Against the Drill

Courtesy of Jacques del Conte

December 7, 2010 – February 5, 2011
Opening Tuesday, December 7 / 7-9pm

NEW YORK – Exit Art announces Fracking: Art and Activism Against the Drill. Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is a means of gas extraction that accesses gas trapped more than a mile below the earth’s surface. This exhibition, a project of SEA (Social Environmental Aesthetics), will expose this process of gas extraction that is contaminating water supplies worldwide. Through documentary videos, photographs, commissioned works, public responses and literature, it will engage the public in dialogue on this issue through public lectures and calls to action and encourage audiences to continue educating themselves and their communities on fracking and its detrimental effects.

Exit Art invited the public to respond to the issue of fracking by submitting a postcard through the mail with original artwork on one side and a written statement on the other. The dozens of responses we received will be on view, forming a collective call to end fracking; postcards will be accepted throughout the run of the exhibition and will be added as they are received.

Organized by Lauren Rosati, Assistant Curator, with Peggy Cyphers, Ruth Hardinger, and Alice Zinnes.

MORE INFORMATION on FRACKING

Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is a means of gas extraction that accesses gas trapped more than a mile below the earth’s surface. When a well is fracked, small earthquakes are produced by the pressurized injection of millions of gallons of fresh water combined with sand and chemicals, releasing the gas, as well as toxic chemicals, heavy metals and radioactive materials that contaminate air and water.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005, passed under the guidance of then-Vice President Dick Cheney, exempts fracking from the Safe Drinking Water Act and major provisions of other protective laws, virtually eliminating the gas industry’s liability and E.P.A.’s regulatory oversight. Exemption from the Community Right to Know Law also absolves the gas industry from being required to report the actual chemicals used in the drilling processes—chemicals that can severely contaminate the water supply and cause serious illnesses. A drilling moratorium is in effect in New York State until the D.E.C. issues fracking regulation, potentially paving the way for drilling to commence in New York in 2011.

PUBLIC EVENT

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 / 7-9pm

Fracking and Its Effects: A Panel Discussion

Host: Mark Ruffalo, Actor / Activist
Moderator: Tracy Carluccio, Activist
Panelists: Joe Levine, Lobbyist / Activist; Michael Lebron, Grassroots Organization; Al Appleton, Policy; Michel Boufadel, Civil Engineer; Christy Rupp, Artist; and a representative from “Gasland” to be announced

This panel discussion brings together leading experts and activists on hydraulic fracturing, representing multiple facets of this issue.

Mark Ruffalo is an actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He is also a vocal critic of hydraulic fracturing, having recently appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show to discuss the issue and the 2009 FRAC Act.

Tracy Carluccio is the Deputy Director of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network. She has served on several township boards, inter-municipal steering committees and community organizations related to issues of water and environmental preservation.

Al Appleton is the former Commissioner of NYC’s Environmental Protection Agency and an international expert on water issues. He is also a Senior Fellow at the CUNY Institute for Urban Systems and an international consultant on issues of watershed and water utility management, financing, and land use.

Michel Boufadel is the Professor and Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Temple University and the Director of its Center for Natural Resources Development and Protection. He is one of the nation’s foremost experts on oil spills and the Marcellus Shale natural gas deposits.

Michael Lebron is the key figure behind the collective lawsuits in Dimock, PA and is currently working with citizens of Bradford and Wyoming Counties, PA. He is also a spokesperson for litigants in cases related to hydraulic fracturing.

Joe Levine is the co-founder of NYH20 and Damascus Citizens for Sustainability, a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Upper Delaware River Basin from the ravages of deep-shale gas extraction and the threat posed by the natural gas industry. Visit http://www.damascuscitizens.org.

Christy Rupp is an artist and activist who has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions internationally since 1977. Her most recent body of work deals with fracking, mountaintop removal and oil drilling in the Amazon.

“Gasland” is a documentary film directed by Josh Fox that focuses on communities affected by natural gas drilling. It was released in 2010 and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize.

ABOUT EXIT ART

Exit Art is an independent vision of contemporary culture. We are prepared toreact immediately to important issues that affect our lives. We do experimental, historical and unique presentations of aesthetic, social, political and environmental issues. We absorb cultural differences that become prototype exhibitions. We are a center for multiple disciplines. Exit Art is a 28-year-old cultural center in New York City founded by Directors Jeanette Ingberman and artist Papo Colo, that has grown from a pioneering alternative art space, into a model artistic center for the 21st century committed to supporting artists whose quality of work reflects the transformations of our culture. Exit Art is internationally recognized for its unmatched spirit of inventiveness and consistent ability to anticipate the newest trends in the culture. With a substantial reputation for curatorial innovation and depth of programming in diverse media, Exit Art is always changing.

ABOUT SEA (Social-Environmental Aesthetics)

SEA is a diverse multimedia exhibition program that addresses social and environmental concerns. It assembles artists, activists, scientists and scholars through presentations of visual art, performances, panels and lecture series that communicate international activities concerning environmental and social activism. It provides a vehicle through which the public can be made aware of socially- and environmentally-engaged work, and a forum for collaboration among artists, scientists, activists, scholars and the public. SEA functions as an initiative where individuals can join together in dialogue about issues that affect our daily lives. Conceived by Exit Art Co-Founder / Artistic Director Papo Colo.

EXHIBITION SUPPORT

General exhibition support provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; Bloomberg LP; Jerome Foundation; Lambent Foundation; Pollock-Krasner Foundation; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn; and public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts. We are grateful to Damascus Citizens for Sustainability and Delaware RiverKeeper for their help and expertise in the complex issues of fracking.