What is your project? Why have you chosen this topic and form of outreach?
For my final project I will be touching on the subject of “Why public zoos are beneficial” when some others say why they are not. I will be justifying why they actually are (with research evidence backing up my reasoning). I have chosen this topic because ever since a child I have always loved going to the zoo and interacting with zoo animals. A project about this subject would be perfect for my childhood craving.
What is your message for the audience? How did you reach an audience (ie "publish" the project)? How did the audience engage with the project? What feedback have you received?
My message for the audience is to raise awareness in why public zoos are more beneficial for us factually and personally. They can help us learn about different types of animals in the zoo and help those with mental challenges relieve their stress. I reached the audience by engaging with them at the zoo asking them “do you feel like the zoo is good for us or bad? Why or why not?”. I received mostly positive feedback from people agreeing with my case.
How does this project fit into your professional aspirations and your portfolio?
I am currently studying computer science which at first doesn't seem to relate to something like a zoo keeper. Computer science can be a strong position to work relating to zoos because there are data analysts who can be hired by zoos to keep digital track of animals and their conditions or can keep track of how many people the zoo attracts daily.
What artists or other projects have influenced or inspired your own project?
2012 group of undocumented immigrant activists from the textbook “The Art of Activism” page 30. This group used butterflies to decorate a bus across its sides with the label of “No Fear” as well. The bus was then used to protest local anti-immigration laws. The usage of butterflies is using our lovely creatures politically which we can also find in some of our zoos.
From the Khan Academy Performance Art webpages there was Shiraga Kazuo and his artwork titled “Challenging Mud”. In this he rolled around the mud as an act of activist art and challenged the norms of political art in Japan during the 1950’s. This gives me confidence to choose the zoo as activist art if you involve yourself in it because there are simply no limits as to what can be cultivated from a zoo.
The Freedom To Move by Shaun Leonardo showcases Shaun using his body in many ways to portray how we can use our bodies to define art. From wrestling with an invisible opponent to pantomime with prisoners Shawn shows the freedom we can have when choosing performance art. This allows me to ask questions freely to my audience at the zoo. Knowing there are no limits to what I can ask, this inspires me to be more free when bringing my project to the zoo.
Kimberly Drew’s blog posts about Black contemporary art. Showcasing much Black inspired art brings up one question in relation to zoos, who is the zoo for? When I think about it it makes me think of the date zoos were created and who was allowed access into the zoo. Were there limitations based on race or were all cultures/color of skin allowed in? As of today, the zoo is accessible to everyone in America regardless of skin color being Black or blue.
3 quotes from the readings:
The first quote comes from page 47 of the “This is what I know about art” book and it says “It was as if Ferguson wasn’t a reality for my coworkers. Granted, you’re not ‘supposed’ to talk about religion or politics at work, but police aren't ‘supposed’ to murder unarmed Black people, either. The rules I knew suddenly stopped making sense.” This quote shows to me the exact type of person Kimberly Drew is, someone who we all need in the workplace who questions social norms and confronts things that need to be said out loud. The second piece that inspires my idea is the Undocubus bus by the group of undocumented immigrant activists who bought an old bus and decorated it with images of brightly colored monarch butterflies. This uses animals directly into their use of protest activist art and gives more reasoning behind their message. Using animals gives the bus more life and exemplifies the importance of all animals from bugs to mammals. The quote I have taken from the reading is on page 30 of “The Art of Activism” saying “Donning butterfly wings at their events, and with butterfly designs covering their bus and emblazoned on their shirts, the Undocubus activists forged an association between human immigration and a natural and majestic migration, reframing the image of a population unjustly feared and routinely degraded. Who, after all, can be enraged at a butterfly?”. Finally the third quote is on page 92 of “The Art of Activism” it goes like “What matters is the message his spectacles communicated (referring to Jesus): an ideal of power not used selfishly to privilege oneself, as it often is, but as a gift for helping others, caring for and sharing with those on the bottom of society.” This can relate with the subject of zoos being important for us because it showcases the kind of community we want to be revolved around our zoos, kind people, selfless, and making sure each other is safe rather than being selfish and hogging up all of the goat kibble.
Research:
https://www.procon.org/headlines/zoos-top-3-pros-and-cons/#:~:text=Turabian%20(9th%20ed.-,Pro%201,manuscripts%20between%201993%20and%202013.
https://hoschtonanimalhospital.com/blog/2022/06/16/5-reasons-zoos-and-aquariums-are-important/
Images:
Turtle Back Zoo Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWgCpIorGKg
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