Exhibits

Inner and Outer Transformations:
The Climate Crisis

On December 15, 2024, the Gowanus Dredgers Boathouse hosted Inner and Outer Transformations: The Climate Crisis, an immersive multimedia exhibit by Olive Toran. The event wove together fine art photography, poetry, live music, and community climate engagement activities into a unified experience. These works showcased Olive's personal journey and the interplay between healing and climate action. Through poetry, song, and music—mediums rooted in her own healing process—Olive invoked spiritual solutions to illustrate how inner transformation can lead to broader change. The exhibit highlighted the ongoing dialogue between self and environment, proposing that personal well-being can catalyze systemic transformation. Visitors were invited to reconnect with nature, build resilience against eco-paralysis, and deepen their dedication to environmental and social change.

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Climate Adaptation Toolkit

I came up with an idea to co-create a Climate Adaptation Toolkit for flooding. This toolkit serves as a participatory action research workshop centered on addressing sea level rise, water infrastructure, policy considerations, and the resilience of resource restricted communities in responding to flooding in NYC. It involves collaborative efforts to build community resources aimed at mitigating the impacts of flooding.

The first two pop up’s took place as a joint collaboration with artist Nora Almeida’s Open water project, at Coney Island Kaiser Park and the Creek with local residents on September 1 and 30th, 2023, and in Gowanus on June 15-16, September 14, 2024. To request a toolkit workshop, please contact me at ftoran11@gmail.com.

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 Toolkit Workshop June 15-16, 2024
Snapshots from the Climate Adaptation Toolkit workshops—a community-driven project to build resilience against NYC flooding. In partnership with Nora Almeida’s Open Water project, sessions in Coney Island and Gowanus focused on swimming & flooding

The People’s Toolkit

The data and insights generated from the Climate Adaptation Toolkit for Flooding are the result of participatory action research and are not intended for public use, reproduction, or distribution without the explicit consent of the artist and project collaborators. This information reflects the perspectives and experiences of participants but is not representative of entire communities or all individuals affected by flooding in NYC. Any use, interpretation, or dissemination of this material without prior authorization is strictly prohibited.

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    1. Floaty

    2. Sneakers

    3. Personal size boat

    4. First responders (responsible for providing relief)

    5. Safe area

    6. In every building toolkit

    7. Community doctor

    8. Sterno

    9. Foil

    10. Heat Warmers

    11. Ice

    12. Coolers

    13. Need people/ network

    14. Canned food

    15. Photo albums

    16. Baseball gloves

    17. Safety squad

    18. Evacuation shelter (for those who cannot leave, who pays-taxpayers)

    19. Free lodging

    20. Life jacket

    21. Waterproof lighter

    22. You need to know how to survive (training)

    23. Flare

    24. Improved Infrastructure for water rising

    25. Water tunnel

    26. Storage space

    27. Flood maps

    1. Sleeping Bag

    2. Check points

    3. Fact Sheet - Guide posted in lobbies so it sinks in

    4. Communication system

    5. Sketchbook

    6. Video Console

    7. Hand Warmers

    8. Water filters

    9. Small towel, wipes, hand sanitizer, protein bars or sealed portable food

    10. Waterproof matches/ lighter

    11. String

    12. Dry food, can, flour, seeds, meaningful products

    13. Spoken word poetry workshop with your friends

    14. iPad + phone and camera

    15. Flood Insurance

    16. A good book

    17. Solar powered headlamp

    18. Seeds

    19. Dirt

    20. Water shoes

    21. Youth flooding obstacle course/camp

    22. Portable Wi-Fi

    23. Duct tape (or other boat repairs)

    24. Doggy Life jacket

    25. Stories of past extreme events

    26. My grandparent's wisdom

    27. Large ziplock bags to keep things dry

    28. Prescription glasses

    29. Extra socks

    30. Blankets

    31. Journal

    32. N95 masks

    33. Pet plans/housing

    34. Uno game

    35. Dried food

    36. Helmet

    37. Class Clown (list of jokes)

    38. Prepared Affinity groups

    39. Cats

    40. Bike

    1. Journal

    2. Pen

    3. Book(s)

    4. Tea Bags

    5. Wet Suit

    6. Knife

    7. Rope

    8. Lighter

    9. Pets

    10. Battery Bank

    11. Bible

    12. Nutritional Supplements

    13. Solar Portable Power Station

    14. Large Trash Bags