Our experience with the CLIMARTE Gallery’s prominent windows convinced us of how many passers-by really appreciate the sight of beautiful and prescient artwork in shopfronts. So, knowing the power of art to engage and inspire people to unite in demanding effective climate action to address the greatest ever global threat, we are excited to be developing CLIMARTE Window Reflections, a more ambitious project designed to leverage the Gallery’s momentum.

CLIMARTE Window Reflections is an emerging project to harness the enormous potential of art to communicate important climate information through prominent otherwise vacant (and often tagged) shopfronts. So far, we have presented From nowhere, a poignant show of artwork created by Joe Newton-Keogh during COVID isolation, and The Climate Quilt, a stunning collaborative artwork featuring ‘squares of concern’ from 32 contributors.

CLIMARTE Window Reflections is a pop-up concept whereby climate themed art appears in shop-front windows along local shopping streets with high commercial vacancy rates. In addition to providing an inclusive opportunity for artists, residents, local businesses and vacant shop owners to unite in calls for effective climate action, we envisage this project helping to revitalise our local public areas.

CLIMARTE Window Reflections will:

• provide artists with opportunities to show their climate justice related artwork and be remunerated for this important community engaging work;
• provide landlords and/or agents leasing or selling commercial properties with prominent street fronts (of which there a lot of unloved looking ones around now) with meaningful, socially engaging art; and
• provide us with opportunities to partner with other trusted organisations with capacities to assist with essential components, such as free-standing exhibition infrastructure.

If you are keen to learn more or to get involved with CLIMARTE Window Reflections as we establish the necessary processes to ensure it is as effective as possible, please email us via producer@climarte.org.

CLIMARTE Window Reflections Project is made possible thanks to a 2023 Annual Grant from the City of Yarra.