![\"artwork](\"https:\/\/cws.charlotte.edu\/backup-coaa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/807\/2024\/06\/AIR-composite.jpg\")
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The College of Arts + Architecture and UNC Charlotte Urban Institute<\/a> launch the third year of the KEEPING WATCH initiative with a focus on air quality and tree canopy. Events begin in early March and continue through the end of May. <\/p>\n KEEPING WATCH is a multi-year initiative designed to foster collaboration across disciplines and interest groups to engage the public in local ecological issues. Through the work of artists, writers, environmental experts, and scientists, KEEPING WATCH has connected community partners and projects to raise awareness and inspire action around plastic waste and recycling (2014) and water quality and urban streams (2015). <\/p>\n The 2016 KEEPING WATCH project focuses on local air quality and tree canopy. Poor air quality in the United States is largely due to the presence of elevated concentrations of ozone and particulate matter in our urban centers. In general, Charlotte\u2019s air quality has improved over the past decade, but since vehicles are a primary source of pollutants in our county, and Charlotte\u2019s population is rapidly increasing, air quality could worsen in the coming decade if not given careful attention.<\/p>\n A key contributor to healthy air is a large and healthy tree canopy. Trees also benefit water quality and prevent erosion. Charlotte has one of the best urban forests in the U.S., but widespread development and aging trees are cause for concern.<\/p>\n Organized by the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and the College of Arts + Architecture, the KEEPING WATCH Alliance is a broad coalition of more than a dozen partners representing city and county government, the nonprofit cultural sector, environmental groups, and the university. A full list of partners is below.<\/p>\n The project website, http:\/\/keepingwatch.org<\/a>, includes information from past years as well as the present, with articles, events listings, photographs, and videos.<\/p>\n 2016 EXHIBITIONS and EVENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n Particle Falls<\/em> Projective Eye Gallery at UNC Charlotte Center City The Projective Eye Gallery will present further elaboration on Particle Falls<\/em> plus the work of five artists: Jed Berk (California), Charlie Brouwer (Virginia), Linda Foard Roberts (Charlotte), Berndnaut Smilde (Netherlands), and Robert Wiens (Canada). The exhibition opens with a reception on March 18, North Carolina Arbor Day, and is curated by independent curator June Lambla of Lambla artWORKS.<\/p>\n Floating throughout the gallery, Jed Berk\u2019s interactive “Blubber Bots” become a tangible metaphor for the air that surrounds us, suggesting the mystery of what is in air and how we both react to it and affect it. Berndnaut Smilde\u2019s wall-sized photograph of an \u201cindoor cloud\u201d will prompt a discussion of the need for healthy air inside buildings. The issues of mature tree canopy and clear-cutting are addressed with a life-size tree constructed in the gallery by Charlie Brouwer. Likewise, Robert Wiens\u2019s watercolors of tree segments highlight issues of tree and forest conservation, while Linda Foard Roberts\u2019s large-scale photographic image of a grand, mature tree in Charlotte evokes the emotional attachments many people have to trees. <\/p>\n Further making air \u201cvisible,\u201d the front window at UNC Charlotte Center City will exhibit prints by UNC Charlotte Lecturer Kristin Rothrock based on scientific renderings of particulate air pollution.<\/p>\n NC BREATHE Conference KEEPING WATCH on AIR: Science and Strategies Earth Day Festival, Film Screening & Particle Falls<\/em> Closing Tree Walks<\/strong> The KEEPING WATCH<\/strong> Alliance:<\/strong> Community Partners for KEEPING WATCH on AIR<\/strong><\/p>\n Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation Sponsors for KEEPING WATCH on AIR<\/strong><\/p>\n Arts & Science Council<\/a> The College of Arts + Architecture and UNC Charlotte Urban Institute launch the third year of the KEEPING WATCH initiative with a focus on air quality and tree canopy. Events begin in early March and continue through the end of May. KEEPING WATCH is a multi-year initiative designed to foster collaboration across disciplines and interest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":35039,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_clt_a11y_last_scan":"1778691281","_clt_a11y_has_violations":"1","_clt_a11y_violations":"[{\"id\":\"clt-lexicon-domain\",\"impact\":\"minor\",\"help\":\"Update this URL to use the charlotte.edu domain\",\"helpUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/go.charlotte.edu\\\/clt-a11y-lexicon-domain\",\"description\":\"All university links and references should use charlotte.edu instead of uncc.edu to follow brand identity standards.\",\"tags\":[],\"type\":\"brand\",\"nodes\":[{\"html\":\"UNC Charlotte Urban Institute<\\\/a>\",\"target\":[\"a[href$=\\\"ui.uncc.edu\\\/\\\"]\"],\"failureSummary\":[\"Update this link's URL from ui.uncc.edu to the equivalent charlotte.edu address\"],\"origin\":\"content\"},{\"html\":\"The Graduate School at UNC Charlotte<\\\/a>\",\"target\":[\"a:nth-child(7)\"],\"failureSummary\":[\"Update this link's URL from graduateschool.uncc.edu to the equivalent charlotte.edu address\"],\"origin\":\"content\"}]}]","_clt_a11y_suppressions":"","_clt_a11y_needs_validation":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[55],"class_list":["post-35037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-coaa"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
March 4 – April 23
UNC Charlotte Center City<\/strong>
A public art installation by artist\/scientist Andrea Polli, Particle Falls<\/em> is an animated light projection on the side of the UNC Charlotte Center City building that reveals the invisible particle pollution in surrounding air. Appearing as a waterfall-like cascade of light, the animation is generated with specialized software that visually translates in real time particulate matter readings from a nephelometer, a scientific instrument that gathers data about air pollution. Presented by Clean Air Carolina and the College of Arts + Architecture with partial funding from the Arts & Science Council.<\/p>\n
March 18-May 28
Opening reception March 18, 6:00-8:00 pm <\/strong><\/p>\n
April 8, 8:00 am -5:00 pm
UNC Charlotte Center City<\/strong>
UNC Charlotte will host the 2016 NC BREATHE Conference, a forum for research addressing the effects of air pollution on human health, the environment, and the economy, sponsored by Clean Air Carolina. Details at ncbreatheconference.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n
April 19 at 5:30 pm
UNC Charlotte Center City<\/strong>
The Charlotte Area Science Network presents a Science Caf\u00e9 discussion on air quality, featuring Dr. Brian Magi of the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences. Learn about air quality science, successful efforts to mitigate air quality problems, and what problems may emerge as Charlotte grows. <\/p>\n
April 23
UNC Charlotte Center City and First Ward Park
Festival – 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Film and Particle Falls<\/em> viewing \u2013 6:00 to 9:00 pm<\/strong>
KEEPING WATCH on AIR joins Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation to celebrate Earth Day and the opening of First Ward Park with family-oriented hands-on activities, demonstrations, and entertainment. In the evening, the College of Arts + Architecture will host a film screening and final Particle Falls<\/em> viewing!<\/p>\n
Join members of the KEEPING WATCH Alliance for guided walks to learn about Charlotte\u2019s trees. For details on times and locations, please visit keepingwatch.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Organized by the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and the UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture with Lambla artWORKS.<\/p>\n
City of Charlotte
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Charlotte Visualization Center
Clean Air Carolina
Green Teacher Network
Levine Properties
McColl Center for Art + Innovation
Mecklenburg County Air Quality
Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation
North Carolina Science Festival
Sustain Charlotte
TreesCharlotte
Tree Campus USA
UNC Charlotte Botanical Garden
UNC Charlotte Center for STEM Education
UNC Charlotte Department of Geography and Earth Sciences
UNC Charlotte Earth Club
UNC Charlotte Facilities Management<\/p>\n
Blumenthal Foundation<\/a>
North Carolina Science Festival<\/a>
The Graduate School at UNC Charlotte<\/a>
UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture
UNC Charlotte Urban Institute
WFAE 90.7fm<\/a><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"