I Heart the Planet
Was created to become Abandoned Art
It is an Environmental Art Projects
to encourage everyone to think
kindly about our home
The Planet Earth
Hand Pulled Serigraph ~ 13 Stencils
3 x 8” ~ 8 x 20 cm ~ Edition 100
I Heart the Planet Project
I Heart the Planet Project
Below are some stories behind the inspiration for this artwork, and photos of some of the places throughout Canada and around the world where it has been dropped off so far. I Heart the Planet artwork will eventually, be dropped off at 100 different locations around the world.
‘I Heart the Planet’ cannot be purchased, it can only be found by chance and earned through an act of kindness towards the Planet.
The inspiration for ‘I Heart the Planet’, an environmental art project, came from being confronted with multiple Climate Crises, on the way to my Art Exhibition in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 2019. The Exhibition was called ‘Pandora’s Trojan Horse; Exploring issues around Climate Change.’ I went on an odyssey in Climate Crisis, on the way to an Art Exhibition about Climate Change. This very strange and disturbing coincidence caused me to think, on a deep level about what I as an artist, could do about Climate Change.
I needed to take a positive message outside of the gallery setting. Then it occurred to me, as an artist and even better a printmaker, I could create an edition of 100 Hand Pulled Serigraphs called, ‘I Heart the Planet’, and abandon all of them, in an act of hope. With the help of family and friends, the entire edition of ‘I Heart the Planet’ will be left at various places around the world. The goal is to inspire people who see ‘I Heart the Planet’, to treat the Earth with Love and Respect.
Places where ‘I Heart the Planet’ has been abandoned so far
- Tour Canada, Toronto, Ontario Canada, Left by Annie
- Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Left by Margot
- Calgary Zoo, Calgary, Alberta, Left by Margot
- Brackett’s Landing Park, Edmonds, Washington State, Left by Sue
- Oxford Circus in London England, Left by Alex
- Nanaimo Airport, Cassidy, British Columbia, Canada, Left by Eric
- Roberta Bondar Place, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Canada, Left by Margot
- Palace of Versailles, Paris, France, Left by Blair & Kathy
- Place des Arts de Hearst, Hearst, Ontario, Canada, Left by Margot
- Toronto Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Left by Margot
- Michigan Iron Industry Museum, Negaunee, Michigan, USA, Left by Margot
- Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, Left by Margot
- La Rambla, a famous tree lined Street in Barcelona, Spain. Left by Blair and Kathy
- The Pirate’s Path, Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, Canada. Left by Todd
- Medicine Hat College Community Center, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Left by Margot
- West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton Alberta, Canada; Left by Margot
- Dropped off at the Glenora Ferry, Glenora, Ontario, Canada. Left by Phil
- Dropped off at the Powassan Community Centre, Powassan, Ontario, Canada. Left by Margot
- Dropped off at the Global Strike for the Future, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Left by Alexa
- Dropped off at the East Polk Heritage Center, Fosston Minnesota, USA. Left by Margot
- Dropped off at the Devils Lake Chamber MVD Tourism, Devils Lake, North Dakota, USA. Left by Margot
- Wolf Point Museum, Wolf Point, Montana, USA. Left by Margot
- The Convent Country Inn, Val Marie, Alberta, Canada. Left by Margot
15. World Waterpark, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Left by Margot
- Fort McMurray Oil Sands Discovery Centre, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. Left by Margot
- Saskatchewan Legislative Building, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Left by Margot
- Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum, Brandon Manitoba, Canada. Left by Margot
- Terry Fox Memorial Building, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Left by Margot
- Centre de Loisirs, Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada. Left by Margot
- New Ontario Brewing Co., North Bay Ontario, Canada. Left by Mariette
- At the Tank, Haliburton, Ontario. Left by Margot
7. Dunes Beach, Sandbanks Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Left by Margot
- Hidden Goldmine Bakery, Madoc, Ontario, Canada. Left by Margot
- Tim Hortons, Bancroft, Ontario, Canada. Left by Margot
- Tim Hortons, Huntsville, Ontario. Left by Margot
- Northgate Shopping Centre, North Bay, Ontario, Canada. Left by Margot
- MacPhersons General Store, Kenogami, Ontario, Canada. Left by Margot
- Timmins Museum: National Exhibition Centre, Timmins, Ontario, Canada. Left by Margot
The Multiple Climate Crises I ran into
on the way to my Art Exhibition
Pandora’s Trojan Horse; Exploring Issues around Climate Change
This Art Happening called ‘I Heart the Planet’ Project, is inspired in part from a Climate Odyssey involving 3 separate Climate caused road blocks on the Trans Canada Highway, on the way to one of my art openings.
“Pandora’s Trojan Horse: Exploring Issues around Climate Change,” is specifically about human actions, that have led to our current Climate Crisis. In late April of 2019 I was taking my artwork to the Saint John Arts Center Gallery in New Brunswick. The first detour on the Highway was caused by an accident due to a late Snow storm near Kenogami, Ontario. By itself this was not really unusual. The second detour from the Trans Canada was at Deep River, Ontario. The Trans Canada highway was washed away due to extreme flooding in a nearby river. Later that night, we felt lucky to obtain the second last room in a Quebec hotel packed to capacity with flood victims. The next day we passed numerous boats being towed down the highway. It was very early in the spring for all of those similar boats. Later in the news we saw this ‘boat type’ being used to rescue flood victims.
When we got to New Brunswick we passed a fork in the Trans Canada Highway leading to Moncton. That road was closed due to flooding, the third block in the highway we had passed in just two days.
Lucky for us we were heading to Westfield near Saint John, so this time we did not have to detour. As we neared the cottage we would be staying at, fortunately situated on high ground, we were driving past sandbagged houses, and then a compound full of army rescue equipment, temporarily set up to help flood victims. At the same time as all the flooding in Ontario Quebec and New Brunswick, there were raging ‘Spring’ forest fires on the other side of Canada in British Columbia.
Climate Change felt a little too real, and a little to right now, on this journey to my art exhibition about Climate Change. I had to do something to get a positive message out generally, not just interact with people who were attending an art exhibit about Climate Change. I think we all love our home planet, but are we all willing to take steps to protect it.