Maddie Hewitt: Turning to Nurture
September 6, 2019 – October 13, 2019
Presented in Gallery Four
About the Exhibition
Turning to Nurture ruminates on the consequences of the decision to eliminate the Migratory Bird Rule from the Clean Water Act, and imagines what it would be like if we were migratory birds losing a part of our environment. In 1986, the US government was put in charge of regulating “non-navigable water” for the habitat of migratory birds crossing state lines as part of the Clean Water Act. Typically forming after heavy precipitation, non-navigable water is an isolated accumulation of water that boats and ships are unable to pass through. In 2001, the Supreme Court overturned this rule in favor of transforming abandoned quarries filled with rainwater into solid waste facilities. This verdict destroyed the habitat for over 100 migratory bird species. The exhibit highlights ways in which the human experience resembles that of our avian counterparts, and seeks to reorient ourselves in relation to birds in an effort to foster empathy and compassion towards the natural world.
Birds are extremely sensitive to their surroundings and can provide insight into the state of our environment. Similar to the Miner’s Canary, Turning to Nurture considers the Migratory Bird Rule as an early warning of what may happen if the current US administration is successful in redefining the scope of waters federally regulated by the Clean Water Act.
About the Artist
Maddie Hewitt is an Environmentalist Multimedia Artist researching current water quality issues in Philadelphia. She works between video, performance, sculpture, and sound to demonstrate how natural human processes can help minimize the effects of anthropogenic hazards. Incorporating aspects from autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) trigger videos, as seen on YouTube, the sound, rhythm, repetition, and intimacy of her movements are intended to have a meditative physical response in viewers. Her work also alludes to the traditional association of women with cleaning and care-taking of the body and of our living spaces.
More Info: maddiehewitt.com