Emily Gilley

Keeping the Color

Climate change seems to drain things of life in a way and that is what I wanted to capture in this painting. The colored-in area depicts life and hope, while the uncolored portion is drained of that life and color. I included oak and pine trees in the painting similar to those we have on Martha’s Vineyard, along with a deer.

Nate Larkin

Lone Tree

My piece is a shaded tree on the left side with a great sunset on the other. I used chalk pastel for every part of this piece.For me and many others my age, there is something about sunsets that makes us love them. I enjoy the wide span of colors. It’s like a painting on a huge canvas every time.

Ayla Strom

Lady of the Leaves

I put plants all over my face to represent hope. Without plants we would not be alive and would not have as large a variety of food as we have now. In my opinion plants are a symbol of life. I thought of this concept (plant collage, photo staging) but I had my mom take the picture since I am in it.

Find Ayla’s accompanying poem in the Writer’s Room.

Tasman Strom

Two Stories, One Ending

While exploring the coves of the pond I live near, my friend and I came across something few ever get the chance to see. While paddling down one particular cove in the pond I spotted a swan sitting completely still in a patch of tall marsh grass. After watching the swan for a few minutes it finally began moving, leaving for the next cove over.

Out of curiosity we proceeded to paddle to where the swan had been sitting just moments before. We beached the canoe on a bank of rock and mud nearby and proceeded to explore the shoreline. (Read the rest of the story here!)

Kamar Dehaney

Garden Girl

(Find Kamar’s accompanying poem in the Writer’s Room)

Jonathan King

Mirror of Life

This piece I made in my Crafts class for the Hope and Climate contest. It is a hand holding onto a flower that is parting from life. The mirror has a reflection of the hand and flower. It’s almost as if the hand doesn’t want to let go of it. I think this piece relates to climate change because it gives off hope that people will support the cause. 

Tegan Gale

(assorted pottery)

This set is made from clay sourced by myself in Chilmark, it is thrown on a traditional kick wheel using zero electricity. I take inspiration from the landscape and geological characteristics of our amazing island. By using minimally processed local materials it is possible to achieve functional wear without losing the natural beauty of the materials in their rawest form.

My hope is that people who use my work during their daily routine also feel the same appreciation and connection to the island that I felt while making it. There is something really special to me about using clay I dug with my own hands, although it is hard to achieve a “perfect” uniform pot, that is by no means what I am striving for. In my opinion there is a feel to using hand made ceramics that no factory made piece can ever achieve. Clay will always be clay no matter what until it is fired, this resilience is inspirational, and gives me hope that no matter what our Earth will always prevail!

Izzy Colon

(untitled)

Matthew King

The World is a Puzzle

Climate action is like the puzzle pieces to ending climate change.The watercolor painting the hands of people around the world putting together the earth puzzle at last, indicating that a place for all life has been restored, and that the earth is no longer at risk of climate change. The world is like a puzzle, waiting to be solved.

Sam Warren

Waves of Change

As we continue to belch us Co2 and other harmful gasses, we are destroying oceanic habitats. I made this piece to depict the oceans fighting back against the pollution humans create.

Natalie Wambui

Hope to Inspire

Parker Bradlee

Nature’s Abstract Art

I got into drone photography a couple years ago and it is now my favorite hobby. Seeing this beautiful island from a sea gulls perspective really makes me appreciate the island more. I hope islanders and tourists can help keep this island clean so I can continue to take photos of the many natural beauties this island has to offer. 

Bryan Sornas

No Escape

When I was titling this Image I wanted to make it something to do with the life of a deer, there is no escaping how they will die. People are always killing them, rarely do deers die of old age. Usually it’s by being hunted, hit by a car or sometimes eaten by something else. The title of this is to represent a cage and how there isn’t much escape from death as a deer or death in general everything will die one day so it is inevitable.

The scenery represents a dark and eerie day as the decomposed ribs of what was once a walking deer is sitting there with no escape.

Teagan Myers

The Hunt for Food

To me, this picture shows how nature is becoming more desolate. Although the area where this picture was taken is thriving, there are many other regions where nature is not thriving because of the climate. Here you see a bird flying through the fog where it could be on the hunt for food. This hunt for food is a struggle that many more animals are facing now because the climate is becoming worse and whole habitats and food webs are being destroyed. 

Anina Garvin

Spot the Difference

This photo was taken in Katama, Martha’s Vineyard. It was taken on April 14th 2023 at midday. It shows how similar Humans and nature really are. At times it can be hard to connect to the issues with climate change, in order to really see the similarities you have to look for the differences. When you do look closer into the differences between us and the planet, you have a revelation. This revelation is that the differences aren’t really so different after all.

When one feels a connection to a topic it makes them feel so much more hopeful because they can include themself in the equation. If we all consider ourselves as a factor to the everlasting problem then we can find inspiration in ourselves that has been here all along.

Rose Levesque

Saltwater Heals Everything

Salt water heals everything. I have hope for my local boat launch. I went down to the launch site recently at Sengekontacket pond. Sengi or the landing is what the locals call it. There was so much trash laying around empty, there were beer bottles, Nips, red solo cups and other plastics. I went down there on Earth day April 22,2023 and cleaned up as much as I could with one of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Teachers that is also one of my neighbors. The Landing is such a pretty area in Martha’s Vineyard and I hate to see it get to see it trashed.

The beach and the salt water is so important to me. It brings me peace and happiness. I have hope that we can come together and clean, but not just the landing that needs to be cleaned but all beaches in general. I also hope that the Landing will stay clean for the environment, animals, and people there so that everybody can enjoy the beautiful scene.

Ava Fisher

Sunflower

I decided to paint a sunflower because the color yellow brings warmth, and flowers can brighten up your mood. It shows happiness and color! This flower is what I hope they will still look like if we take care of our Earth. This painting brings hope and reminds me of why I want to keep our planet clean. 

Freya Stearns

Scattered

This depicts the scattered earth in the forest. It reminds me of all the diversity in the wild and in culture today. This photo shows a hopeful future by showing new growth in the earth and diversity. It shows plants dying and new ones growing. This shows the state forest and I hope this is protected from climate change because it’s one of my favorite places to spend time.   

Mya O’Neill

Is-land (n) a piece of land surrounded by water

A piece of land surrounded by water which is directly subjected to sea level rise, a piece of land surrounded by water which is directly subjected to environmental collapse, a piece of land surrounded by water which has potential to repair itself if given the opportunity by its community. This Mini-Martha, yes, is mini, but it has so many similarities with Big-Martha; The only difference being that we have human civilization.

Our human civilization and community has the ability to repair and mend the environmental collapse. Although we cannot stop sea level rise, we can take steps to slow everything down. It all comes down to effort, do we have enough within ourselves?