TALKS, PUBLICATIONS, EXHIBITIONS, ACTIONS

See journal articles that reference my work here

UPCOMING:

RECENT:

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I was nominated to the International EcoArt Network in 2016 by Dr. Richard Povall and Prof. David Haley.

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Ecoart in Action: Activities, Case Studies and Provocations for Classrooms and Communities.

I’m delighted to have contributed to an important collaborative new book produced by members of the longest-running International EcoArt Network (founded in 1999).

Edited by Amara Geffen, Ann Rosenthal, Chris Fremantle, and Aviva Rahmani

Published by New Village Press, 2022

Ready-to-go, vetted approaches for facilitating artistic environmental projects

How do we educate those who feel an urgency to address our environmental and social challenges? What ethical concerns do art-makers face who are committed to a deep green agenda? How can we refocus education to emphasize integrative thinking and inspire hope? What role might art play in actualizing environmental resilience?

Compiled from 67 members of the Ecoart Network, a group of more than 200 internationally established practitioners, Ecoart in Action stands as a field guide that offers practical solutions to critical environmental challenges. Organized into three sections―Activities, Case Studies, and Provocations―each contribution provides models for ecoart practice that are adaptable for use within a variety of classrooms, communities, and contexts. Learn more about the authors here.

Educators developing project and place-based learning curricula, citizens, policymakers, scientists, land managers, and those who work with communities (human and other) will find inspiration for integrating art, science, and community-engaged practices into on-the-ground environmental projects. If you share a concern for the environmental crisis and believe art can provide new options, this book is for you!

Please purchase your U.S. copy here, or Internationally here.

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I contributed to a chapter for the new Taylor and Francis Routledge Handbook of Placemaking Handbook: research, theory and practice, in 2020 (editor Dr Cara Courage, with sub-editor, Dr. Anita McKeown) .

My essay – ‘The Hollywood Forest Story: Placemaking for the Symbiocene’ argueS how placemaking can develop ecoliteracy and micropolitical social power for social change for the Symbiocene.

My deep thanks to Anita for the invitation and encouragement.

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Dr. Iain Biggs wrote about The Hollywood Forest Story ecosocial art practice for the new Routledge book, Creative Engagements with ~
Ecologies of Place: Geopoetics, Deep Mapping and Slow Residencies,  published in December 2020.

My deep thanks to Iain (my PhD practice supervisor) for including my work.

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Earth Writings

Fully illustrated, texts edited by Prof Karen E Till, Maynooth Univ. Dept. Geography. Book to celebrate the work of artists Monica de Bath, Cathy Fitzgerald, Pauline O’Connell, Seiodín O’Sullivan & activists in Ireland, in conversation with academics from cultural geography and Irish Studies.

Book Design by Pure Designs.
Original EarthWritings.ie website by Cathy Fitzgerald.

Generously funded by Kildare County Council’s Creative Ireland programme and Maynooth Geography Research Incentive Fund, with support by the Irish Research Council New Foundations STEAM grant.

Earth Writings Exhibition and Symposia

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My article ‘Goodbye Anthropocene – Hello Symbiocene: Eco-Social Art Practices for a New World’ was re-published in the sourcebook “Plasticity – The Global Reader” 2019 by Centre for Contemporary Art U-jazdowski Castle in Warsaw. The editorial ambition is to present the idea of Catherine Malabou’s notion of ‘plasticity’ in the broad perspective of philosophical thinking and the curatorial practice it has inspired in recent years. The starting point for this publication, printed exclusively in English in amount of 500 copies, is the international group exhibition “Human-Free Earth” curated by Jaroslaw Lubiak, currently on view in Warsaw, Poland. See a post about the book here Read more about the exhibition here

I took part in this important Irish Earth Writings Symposia and Exhibition at Maynooth University on 20th November 2019.

I and other creative Ireland-based workers will share how we invite diverse rural and urban communities to engage with eco-social topics arising in these urgent times.

Cultural activity is currently not at the forefront of public discourse in Ireland about the ecological emergency, but overseas, culture is well recognised as the necessary 4th Pillar of Sustainability. This means there is research that confirms that amassed scientific facts of our degraded planet alone will not promote societal change. To address poor public engagement and low ecoliteracy, we need considerable cultural engagement, ‘an art of invitation’ to bring forth inclusive community knowledge and foster a community’s immeasurable creativity to reinvent how we can live well with the Earth and all its inhabitants. Read more here

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Competent wisdom for wetlands in uncertain times

at “A revolution in how we live? An interdisciplinary workshop on creative approaches to education for environmental understanding and responsibility” on peatlands.

I was delighted recently to present at a 2-day workshop on how the arts in Ireland can creatively assist educators to connect students to critical ecosystems in peatlands, wetlands, bogs.

Irish Research Council Creative Connection Scheme
18-19 October 2019 – The Glucksman, Cork

Co-hosted by Dr. Maureen O’Connor, University College Cork and The Glucksman Gallery

As I was to contribute a short essay for an upcoming art publication on the Carlow Drummin Bog, project, I decided to write a short essay ‘Competent’ wisdom for wetlands in uncertain times’ around three key points as my contribution to round-table discussion. Jules Michael, the lead artist for the Drummin Bog art project, organised a slide-show of photos of the creative work about Drummin Bog that she has organised with three local schools, to play behind me as I was speaking (you can see these images here on the Drummin website). Read more here

I’m delighted to have a new article ‘The Hollywood Forest Story: eco-social art practice for the Symbiocene’ selected for publication to the US – international online open access Minding Nature Journal, Fall, 2019. My sincere thanks to Contributing Editor Jeremy Ohmes for this invitation to a journal I have long admired. Read article

I was invited to present my recent talk ‘GoodBye Anthropocene – Hello Symbiocene‘ at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) for the ‘Art in the Anthropocene’ 3-day International Conference‘, on 7th June, 2019. This international conference was organised by Prof Stephen Wilmer and others through the Arts and Humanities Department in the Long Room Hub at TCD. I’m was delighted to have been invited by an old art college friend, Imelda Healy ,to be part of an accompanying ‘Art in the Anthropocene’ Group Exhibition to the conference. ‘Art in the Anthropocene’ Exhibition For the group exhibition, I joined Dorothy Cross, Mark Dion,  Yvanna Greene, Steve Hurrel, Imelda Healy (curator), Ruth Le Gear, Siobhán McDonald, Helen O’Shea and Eoin Mac Lochlainn Read more here

I was so moved and inspired to offer my eco-social art practice framework, and documentary photography and blogging writing, to a local community near where I live in rural Ireland for the Carlow An Fraughan (blueberry) three schools Drummin Bog project. My thanks to lead artist and project developer Jules Michael. This was a Creative Ireland Carlow project through the Carlow Arts Office. Read more here about the final exhibition and publication of new poster for each child here

At the EUGeo conference in Galway in May 2019, I have been awarded a Conference Enrichment Fund – EUGEO/CIG 2019 bursary to present  research from my eco-social art practice in the session: Art & Geography: Art, Activism and Social Engagement in the Age of the Capitalocene Session Convenors : Prof. Karen E. Till, Geography, Maynooth University, Ireland; Dr. Nessa Cronin, Irish Studies, NUI Galway. My presentation is titled: ‘Good-Bye Anthropocene – Hello Symbiocene: articulating eco-social art practices for a new world.’

Following an invitation to share my work previously presented at the 50th Conference of Irish Geographers (2018), I have been invited by Dr Nessa Cronin, NUIG to again share my review on the absence on art and sustainability policy for Ireland, in Galway, in May 2019. Please contact me, if you are interested in attending. More info here.

The Hollywood Forest Story eBook is now available to download from the APPLE iBook Store. This eBook is the cultural artefact (the evidence from my creative practice) and the critical introduction for my successful PhD by Practice – The Ecological Turn: Living Well with Forests to Articulate Eco-Social Art Practices Using a Guattari Ecosophy and Action Research Framework (2018). The text, images and video material in this eBook reflects the central creative practice of blogging for this eco-social practice, from my blog http://www.hollywoodforest.com. My blog follows the ongoing (since 2008) transformation of a monoculture tree plantation into a permanent, mixed species forest following new-to-Ireland Close-to-Nature continuous cover forestry practices. Please note the eBook is a formal text that was presented as part of my PhD by Practice submission.  However, it gives a great introduction to Hollywood Forest and my work to develop a straightforward theory-method framework to more simply understand how to develop and maintain effective eco-social art practices. If you  have an iTunes account, The Hollywood Forest Story eBook is FREE AND available to download through the Apple iBook Store here Alternatively, a copy of the eBook is available as a print-on-demand book here or as PDF here Note: if reading the print or PDF version, the videos from the eBook can be seen on Vimeo here The full and accompanying written thesis: The Ecological Turn: Living Well with Forests to Articulate Eco-Social Art Practices Using a Guattari Ecosophy and Action Research Framework (2018) is available to download here from https://ncad.academia.edu/CathyFitzgerald

I presented a paper and led a workshop at the 50th Conference of Irish Geographers at Maynooth University, Dublin, from Thursday 10th of May to Saturday 12th of May 2018. The Art & Geography panel theme is: “The Earth as Our Home”.  My presentation, online, is available here: ‘Raising the Shining, Reflective Shield’: the urgent need for art and sustainability policy for Ireland

I helped facilitate during the Cowhouse Studios 2018 How to Flatten a Mountain Artists Residency in Co. Wexford in April 2018. I will share ideas from science, environmental philosophy, and examples from effective and established eco-social art practices. The aim is to help the artists reflect on how they might more accurately read the environmental realities in rural Ireland during their residency, but also to equip the artists with new ways of thinking for their own home places, so they can create informed and engaging responses for their audiences.

I was invited to present my research and eco-social art practice at the  “Art & Activism: Resilience Techniques in Times of Crisis”, conference, to be held in The Netherlands between December 13th and 15th 2017. At the Research Center for Material Culture within the Museum Volkenkunde (National Museum of World Cultures) in the city of Leiden. Keynote Speakers include Prof. T.J Demos, Centre for Creative Ecologies, UC Santa Cruz.

Presenting my research and practice at Feeding the Insatiable: A Creative Summit -real and imagined narratives of art and energy for a troubled planet. Organised by Dr. Richard Povall, Dartington Hall, Devon, England from November 9-11, 2016.

Presenting my research and practice at Being in Place, The Highs and Lows of Sited Practices, 24 and 25 Nov 2016, University of Dundee. Organised by Dr. Mary Modeen and Dr. Iain Biggs for PLaCE International.

Guest Lecturer, Burren College of Art, Ireland. ‘Developing a Transversal Eco-Social Art Practice’, November 23rd, 2016 from 11 am to 1pm, tutorial advice until 4:30pm.

Presented my research and practice, recent summary video for Dr. Karen Till’s symposia and curated exhibition, and contributed to Dr. Gerry Kearns summary keynote panel on ecocide for the : Mapping Spectral Traces VIII: The Place of the Wound Symposia, St. Patricks College, Maynooth College, Dublin. International and Irish artists, activists and scholars explore spatial justice 16-19 October 2016. 19 October, Wednesday: Healing Place and Restorative Justice : Attending to Lands and Waters:  with Dr. Huhana Smith, Massey University (Aotearoa New Zealand); Cathy Fitzgerald, independent artist (NCAD, Ireland); Monica de Bath (Ireland), independent artist and others.

Exhibited as part of the Carlow 9 Stones Artists group, 2 July until 16 October 2016, at VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art, Carlow, Ireland. See http://www.visualcarlow.ie/exhibitions/info/the-possibilities-of-place Exhibited a summary video of the now 8 year Hollywood project, see video here http://tinyurl.com/jlqkp57 and review of show here http://tinyurl.com/z5a32to

Presented my research and practice at OPEN FIELDS Conference and Exhibition in the framework of RIXC Art Science Festival 2016 Riga, September 29 – October 1, 2016 Venue: The National Library of Latvia

Shared a poster of my practice research at the  Teagasc and Galway County Council Farming and County Life 1916-2016 event, which seeks to commemorate the 100th year of Ireland’s Rising and to reflect on developments in farming and country life across Ireland over the last century. Read more here Also at the AlterRurality 3 Conference, GMIT Letterfrack, June 6 – 9 2016.

Invited panel participant for Dublin City Arts Office ‘Towards an Environmentally Sustainable Future’ seminar The Lab, Dublin Wednesday  11th of March, 2015, from 18.00 – 19.30More info here:

Shared the Hollywood story ‘live’ in Hollywood during the 1st Rural Blackstairs film festival in South Carlow, Ireland. See more here

Shared the ‘story of Hollywood’ at Findhorn International New Story Summit, Scotland, 26 Sept-3 Oct, 2014. See more here My post on the summit is here: Circles for change Article about my work posted to Findhorn International Network is here

Presented my arftul eco-forestry  work at Int. Geography Conference (London) 29 Aug, 2014. Conference session on ‘more-than-human participatory research’ see more here

Presented artful eco work research to ASLE-UKI postgraduate research conference

UCD (Dublin, Ireland) 30-31 July, 2014.See more info here
Presented ‘it was misting’ (2013) and ‘the black space:
resilience of the Ash night’ (2013) filmworks with the
South Carlow 9 Stones Artists group, Borris 13-15
June, 2014See review here
Article on ‘Ecopornography versus the deep art
of place’published in EarthLines, March 2014 (8)
pp. 42-45.
“In my work I feel like Joy Williams when she was
quoted in an article about ‘Ecoporn’ as saying that
‘nature photographs have become something of a
problem. As a visual arts practitioner and art research-
er informed by an earlier career in science, I have
worked on understanding how visual representations
and the visual tools we use may inadvertently deny
and obscure the violence of ecocide”.
I wrote an article ‘Toward an Ecology of Mind’ for the
PLaCE International 2013 Invisible Scotland
catalogue, after attending the symposia in Dundee
1-3 Aug 2013.
See catalogue article here
“It all looked so familiar. Looking out across rural
Scotland, and having live in Ireland these last 19
years, at the same dark blocks of monoculture
forests spreading out before us”.
I was invited by Irish ecological artist Kathy Herbert
to lead a public talk with her about her new work
House Trees and other Tales at deAppendix,
at a fascinating art residency space at artist –
Dr Ciara McMahon’s doctors surgery in Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, 18 July 2013. Kathy described how she
“‘works with the idea of “sharing space”, joining
man-made and natural imagery to imply equal
occupancy of the same space. This work draws
on the idea of respect for other living beings –
animals, plants etc., and implies that we are
not the only important beings on this planet.
I draw from nature, giving every living thing
equal value in the hope that it will be reflected
in our way of living on Earth.”

My two short films ‘burning bright’ and ‘the black
space:resilience of the ash night’ (2013) were
short-listed for the inaugural 2013 ForestEurope
‘Show off your Forest’ photography and film
competition, see more here

Short film ‘the black space: resilience of the ash
night’ was selected for the UCD science expression
pop-up cinema event at Dublin’s Botanic
Gardens 1-3 Nov 2013.

See more herepp–

Invited guest post for The EarthLines
Review
(Dr. Cat Lupton)’The Dilemma of Filming
Beauty’
(Cathy Fitzgerald,
2 September 2013) read here
Launched Irish Green Party Forest policy that
has as its key point to move away from clearfell,
monoculture plantations toward Continuous
Cover forestry, May 11, 2013. This new ecological
forest model is the basis of my PhD inquiry that allows
me to examining deep sustainability through an art-led
practice-theory inquiry in the small conifer
plantation in which I am transforming to become
a permanent forest.
Proposed political motion which was unanimously
accepted by the Green Party of Ireland and Northern
Ireland to support developing international law to
end corporate ecocide. Adopted 13 April,
2013 Green Party Convention, Galway. Ecocide is a
key term in my doctoral work. Vietnam was the first time
that ‘ecocide’ was established as a legal term to describe
longterm environmental destruction and I am a child of a
Vietnam veteran.
My experimental Continuous Cover forest conifer
plantation transformation project is part of the Irish
COFORD forest institute research on Low Impact
Silviculture Systems (LISS). My forest was assessed in
January 2013.
Presented my work ‘Seeing and Tending the forest’
and latest film at Conference of Irish Geography,
Galway Dance Days, Art & Geography seminars,
16-18 May, 2013.  p
Hollywood Diaries forest-art project was selected for
inclusion in Deep Ecologist, activist and educator
Joanna Macy’s inspired book,Stories from the Great
Turning for the ‘Great Turning Artful’ Chapter. Edited by
Peter Reason and Melanie Newman by VALA publishers, art
chapter by Dr. Chris Seeley, James Aldridge, Kathy Skerritt.
Publication 17 April 2013. Presented work at launch in Bristol
and showed my filmwork; the book has been since launched
in Sydney (by Deep Ecologist John Seed) and London and
turned into a musical event at Winchester Cathedral, 2014.

Presented my work on Deep sustainability and the art &
politics of forests with my film ‘the hollywood diaries
2008-12‘ on 14 Feb. at The Gallery, Bournemouth
As part of my presentation I showed  a new film sketch
‘the black space (resilience) of the ash night.
Presented work on deep sustainability and the art & politics
of forests with my film ‘the hollywood diaries 2008-12′ at
Univ. College Cork for new course on Society
and Sustainability 16 Oct 2012 in Ecology and
Philosophy session with Dr. Graham Parkes.

Presented my theory work ‘the ecocidal eye’ and my film ‘the
hollywood diaries 2008-12‘  at the 2012 American Society
of Literature, Environment and Culture – Australia New
Zealand branch (ASLEC-ANZ) 4th Biennial Conference
‘Regarding the Earth’in Melbourne. Since then a committee
member of ASLEC-ANZ.

My thanks
to the Irish Arts Council for
supporting my
work with a 2012 Arts council
Visual Arts Travel and Training Award.

Presented my work on Deep sustainability and the art & politics of
forests with my film ‘the hollywood diaries 2008-12‘ at inaugural
Red Stables Art & Ecology Summer School, Dublin, July 2012.
My work and theory was reviewed in The Red Stables Art & Ecology
Summer School book (ISBN 978-0-9554281-8-0) essay by
Dr. Karen Till. Film was screened during the 2 week festival.

Presented Hollywood diaries 2008-12 film installation with the
South Carlow 9 Stones Artists group, Deighton Hall,
Carlow, Carlow Arts Festival, June 2012.

Presented my work with my film ‘the hollywood diaries
2008-12′  at ‘The Home and the World’ art & ecology
summit in Devon, June 2012. My conference article:
Deep Sustainability and the Art & Politics of Forests.
Also article was also published on the UK ‘Save our Woods’
website.

Regular contributor on art & ecology to the
international womens’ art and activism online
magazine HercircleEzine.com
during 2010-11.
Extract of this article  (left) was published in the
Visual Ireland Artists Newsheet
Fitzgerald, C. (2011) ‘Networking the arts
to save the earth’.p.20.

Attended the first UK Art and Forest conference,
organised by the UK RSA Art & Ecology Programme
and the UK Forest Commission, June 2009.
This was part of the 5 year UK RSA Art & Ecology
programme run over 2005-2010. I was involved in
initiating the online network for several hundred
eco art practitioners.

Attended the first international Culture and Climate
conference, Culture|Futures (Copenhagen COP15
Climate Summit,  2009).I wrote a review of this
conference here. I later provided online web development
support for the global culture and climate change
initiative for Culturefutures.org (during 2011).

Presented work and films at research conference Will Beauty
Save the World, Bristol, 2010.Since that conference I am an
Associate Member of the UK Land2 Art and Land network.

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