The "Hard Rain Project," a critically acclaimed photo essay on environmental issues
by photographer Mark Edwards and inspired by the music of Bob Dylan, will bring
its message of sustainability to the Syracuse University campus April 21-June 5 on
the south lawn of Crouse College. The exhibition is presented by the
Bandier
Program for Music and the Entertainment Industries in the
Rose, Jules R. and
Stanford S. Setnor School of Music in SU's College of Visual and Performing Arts
(VPA).
First launched in 2006 and seen by more than 10 million people in 30 countries, the
"Hard Rain" exhibition deals with such issues as climate change, poverty, habitat loss
and human rights. Bandier students will lead the installation's construction this
morning (Tuesday, April 21) as part of SU Showcase; Edwards will be on campus to
participate in a panel discussion on the environment from 10-10:45 a.m. in the lobby
of the Heroy Geology Laboratory. For more information about the event, visit
http://sushowcase.syr.edu.
Designed by VPA museum studies graduate student Jackie Finnegan in consultation
with the Syracuse Center of Excellence, the SU installation will present the 60-meter-
long "Hard Rain" banners on recycled and recyclable shipping pallets to drastically
reduce its carbon footprint. SU's Burton Blatt Institute and
Office of Disability
Services were also consulted to ensure universal accessibility.
In addition to SU Showcase, the installation of "Hard Rain" coincides with Earth Day
(April 22), SU Commencement Weekend (May 9-10) and World Environment Day
(June 5). A podcast about "Hard Rain" at SU is available at
http://vpa.syr.edu/index.cfm/page/bandier-hard-rain.
London-based Edwards is a widely published editorial photographer who founded
Still Pictures, which is regarded as the leading photo agency specializing in
environmental issues. He is the author of "Hard Rain: Our Headlong Collision with
Nature" (Hard Rain Project, 2006), co-author of "Changing Consciousness"
(Harpercollins, 1991), and has also written several books on photography. For more
information about Edwards and "Hard Rain," visit
http://www.hardrainproject.com/about.htm.
Additional support for "Hard Rain" at SU was provided by SU Showcase; COLAB
and Chris McCray, COLAB mad scientist; Carole Brzozowski, University performing
arts presenter; the Burton Blatt Institute; and Enitiative (the Syracuse Campus-
Community Entrepreneurship Initiative), which is funded by a grant from the Ewing
Marion Kauffman Foundation.
VPA is committed to the education of cultural leaders who will engage and inspire
audiences through performance, visual art, design, scholarship and commentary. The
college provides the tools for self-discovery and risk-taking in an environment that
thrives on critical thought and action. Learn more at http://vpa.syr.edu.
