Artist urges Canadians to support Hurricane Melissa relief efforts

TORONTO:

Jamaican artist Anna-K Cuffe has urged an audience in Toronto, Canada, to donate to the Government’s Hurricane Melissa relief effort website, supportjamaica.gov.jm, to help rebuild communities affected by the category 5 hurricane.

Using her first participation in an exhibition outside of the Caribbean titled “Eco Art Expressions,” the ocean activist spoke passionately of the devastation in western and southern Jamaica.

Cuffe shared that her family lives on the eastern side of Jamaica and had only experienced not having electricity, water or internet connectivity, but on the western side of the island many houses were destroyed and the death toll continues to climb.

“It’s actually really heartbreaking to see, especially as a Jamaican, and for some reason even though I couldn’t do anything, just not being in Jamaica at the time just makes me feel worse,” said Cuffe who flew into Toronto on October 31 from The Bahamas for the signature “Eco Talk” presentations on November 1 at Withrow Common Gallery located at Toronto’s Exhibition Place. “The warming of the ocean is also contributing to more hurricanes, more powerful and destructive hurricanes are happening in the region, the rising of the sea levels which is swallowing the coast lines – also a contribution to what’s happening at Hellshire Beach – and the weakening of the reefs, in general,” said Cuffe.

She said these stronger hurricanes damage both coral reefs and coral reef nurseries, and is convinced that Hurricane Melissa has destroyed the coral reefs in western Jamaica, especially Westmoreland.

She urged widespread support.

“The Caribbean may be on the frontline and may be experiencing a lot of the effects of the warming of the ocean, but it’s still everyone’s ocean, everyone is still affected by what’s going on. There are a few simple things that people can do to help take care of the ocean,” she said.

These include reducing single-use plastic, supporting reef-safe sunscreen and eco-friendly products, conserving water and electricity, advocating for the ocean, and staying informed about what is happening.

EMOTIONAL CONNECTION

As a reef rescue diver, she helps with coral nursing which means cleaning the corals so they can grow and survive.

“I feel that art has the power to connect you more than scientific data or just words on a page. I feel that digital aspects really can create an emotional connection. That’s why most of my art, especially the more sculptural pieces, I have it where you’re seeing the corals that are healthy, when they’re bleached, and when they’re dying fully covered by algae and moss,” said Cuffe.

“In a sense, it’s like I’m trying to bring the underwater world to the surface so persons can appreciate and see the destruction that’s happening, celebrate its beauty and highlight strengths.”

She notes that many persons mistakenly think that they are mere rocks and plants under the ocean. “But they are actually living animals, they breathe, they reproduce, they do everything that animals do except for moving. They make up less than one per cent of the ocean but they house 25 per cent of marine life. They are important to the ocean, in general, and beneficial to humans because they help with tourism, the fishing economy and they protect the coastal line,”she noted.“Eco-Art” is a contemporary form of environmental art created by artists who are concerned about local and global environmental situations.

The exhibition, which opened on October 4 and ends on November 9, brings together 22 visionary artists locally and internationally, united in a powerful collaboration that blends art with environmental and social awareness, through sculpture, installation, visual art, multimedia, wearable art and more.

“Eco Talk” featured a panel of five keynote presenters, including Cuffe who spoke on the environmental and sustainability concerns affecting the eco life in the sea and oceanic waters bordering the Caribbean.

The exhibition was presented by the non-profit organisation, Ancestry Footsteps, through their artistic platform, Art in Motion. President of Ancestry Footsteps, Diane Bosworth, said the event was “dedicated to keeping the legacy of the people from the African/Caribbean diaspora alive through arts and cultural events, storytelling, nuggets of our African/Caribbean history, engaging and executing entrepreneurial initiatives within our communities.”