Exhibition Statement

Introduction

Soil erosion and soil pollution are pressing issues that affect everyone. Soil erosion and soil pollution decrease the amount of arable land available to produce food. Sustainable agriculture is a viable solution to this issue. My capstone addresses how sustainable agriculture is a feasible solution to critical soil erosion and pollution issues. The final product of my capstone project will consist of four acrylic paintings and two posters. Each visual piece will depict different aspects of sustainable agriculture, soil erosion, and soil pollution. 

Literature Review

Artistic Influence 

Albert Bierstadt was a late 18th-century painter. He was part of the Hudson River School, which was a group of American landscape painters. The movement focused on the beauty of American landscapes and their conservation. Bierstadt's paintings showed lush vegetation, contrast, clouds, and water movement to evoke feelings of suspense and awe. In my capstone project, I will use these elements in the acrylic paintings to draw in the audience and spark emotions in the audience. (Hudson River School, 2018)

Scholarly Influence

The news article “What is Sustainable Agriculture?” discussed the definition of sustainable agriculture, the benefits of sustainable agriculture, and the different types of sustainable agriculture. The benefits of sustainable agriculture include preventing soil erosion, water management, decreasing water pollution, carbon storage, decreasing air pollution, and promoting biodiversity. The different types of sustainable agricultural farming practices listed in the article include no-tillage farming, crop rotation, livestock and crop integration, agroforestry, landscape, and farming system management. The acrylic paintings in my capstone will be used to depict the consequences of soil pollution and erosion and the benefits of sustainable agriculture. The posters in my capstone will depict sustainable agricultural farming practices and real-world instances of soil pollution. 

Methods

My capstone used research articles, news articles, review papers, and books as part of its background research. Many of these resources discussed the detrimental effects of soil erosion and pollution. Some of the resources discussed how beneficial sustainable agriculture was to preventing soil erosion and soil pollution. I also used glazing, underpainting, layering, and airbrushing in my acrylic painting.                                                                                                                             

Audience & Impact

The audience for my capstone ranges from young adults to older adults. This audience was chosen because they have more venues to advocate for sustainable farming methods, such as voting and building campaigns.  The capstone is meant to motivate and inform the audience about sustainable farming. The capstone has motivated me to pursue further projects that center around sustainable agriculture. Through this capstone project, I have learned how to curate artwork. I have also grown to think more about the process of creating the artwork rather than the final artwork itself. 

References

The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (2018, May 30). Hudson River school. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/Hudson-River-school  

What Is Sustainable Agriculture? Union of Concerned Scientists. Published 2017. https://www.ucs.org/resources/what-sustainable-agriculture 

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the Arts Scholars faculty, staff and other Arts Scholar students for their encouragement and feedback that motivated me to complete my capstone.