Mary Mattingly grew up in an area served by polluted well water. Now, the Brooklyn-based artist spreads themes of climate change and sustainability through her art.
“I started making artwork about water, probably because the area I grew up in Connecticut had polluted well water, so we were aware of water issues in my family for a long time," Mattingly said. "I think from a young age it was on my mind.”
Mattingly will visit UNC to give a guest lecture on Thursday, Nov. 14, as part of the Hanes Visiting Artist Lecture Series. She will speak in Hanes Art Center at 5:30 p.m., and a reception will follow, according to a press release from the art and art history department.
When determining what artists would present, Gesche Würfel, art and art history professor, said the deciding committee felt that climate change and sustainability were important topics to address in the lectures.
“I think we need to address (climate change) everywhere," Würfel said. “A lot of my students are really afraid of the future, and I think through art, one can engage the public in a different way than bombarding them with data.”
