UNC recognizes the global need for water cooperation on this World Water Day. Along with the UNC Water Theme, the FedEx Global Education Center is hosting a multifaceted exhibition, “The Water of Life: Artistic Expressions.”

The exhibit opened Thursday with a reception for first-year student and painter Caroline Orr and Hanes Visiting Artist Bright Ugochukwu Eke. The evening also featured a multimedia performance by composer Allen Anderson and photographer and musician Brooks de Wetter-Smith.

Eke articulates ideas about human attitudes toward nature through installation art. His work in the FedEx Center focuses on the historical dimension of water, suggesting that slavery is an issue that cannot be forgotten when discussing water.

“It is through this art that I can raise awareness,” Eke said, “and get people to start discussion on how to ameliorate the situation.”

De Wetter-Smith hopes the program will transfer existing knowledge into a commitment to provide water for all. “We tend to take for granted whatever we do not believe to be a threat to our current lives,” he said.

Orr’s series tells the story of those whose lives are deeply impacted by the water crisis. The work puts a face behind the facts and figures of the global water crisis, telling the personal stories that are all too often glossed over.

Orr’s artwork will be on display through July and auctioned online to benefit a water infrastructure project run by the student group A Drink For Tomorrow. Orr’s work communicates a message to the UNC community and assists in the provision of water to a community in Peru.

UNC’s focus on water has produced much academic talk and research, which is critical for assuaging the crisis. However, we all absorb information differently, so this exhibits portrays water differently through imagery, sound, texture and personal stories.

In an era of growing conflict over water, cooperation and communication are more important than ever. Art is a universal language, and perhaps the best way to start.