Artivist Series - Joselyn Takacs
Novelist Joselyn Takacs recently published Pearce Oysters, an intimate look at how the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig back in 2010 impacted the lives of oyster fishers who make their livelihoods fishing on the very real Caminada Bay. The impact from the disaster, still the largest in history, became the impetus for Joselyn to nine years of research before she completed her novel. Joselyn discusses what learned that the act of writing a novel is its own reward. She says: “A good day is a good day of writing. It’s the best feeling and should be enough to sustain this, well, career slash hobby that I have of writing fiction.” We also explore on the podcast more about farming for oysters in the Gulf of Mexico.
Artivist Series - Oriana Poindexter
Artist Oriana Poindexter free dives off the California to collect seaweed and uses a mix of traditional and alternative photographic processes (photography and photograms) to reflect their beauty. She finds inspiration in nature and believes that every person can find beauty by interacting with the natural world.
Artivist Series - Manuela Zoninsein
Manuela Zoninsein began her career as a journalist in China. While there, she witnessed a shift from reusable to single-use water bottles. The Brazilian-American’s love for the beaches of Rio de Janeiro and her experience and academic studies at the MIT-Sloan Executive MBA program, led her to found Kadeya, a company with a mission to replace single-use plastic bottles by developing an innovative vending machine that will ultimately reduce the plastic pollution crisis.
Artivist Series - Sophie Guarasci
Sophie Guarasci worked in the world of fashion and finance before becoming a licensed veterinary tech. She works at the Marine Mammal Center, the nation’s foremost marine mammal hospital located just north of San Francisco. Sophie oversees the clinical and surgical treatment and husbandry of seals, sea lions, and sea otters. It’s her dream job, even though there are times she has to make difficult decisions about the treatment of severely ill animals.
Artivist Series - Angela Abshier
Angela Abshier is a commercial lawyer and founder Sail to Shelter, a not-for-profit that repurposes elite and super yacht sails into shade and shelter for humanitarian purposes. Angela came up with the idea for Sail to Shelter after being introduced to offshore racing. She envisioned that the strong but light weight fabrics might be useful in settings where permanent construction is too costly and building supplies might not be readily available or suitable. A sail is large enough to cover a soccer field. Because the sailing community has yet to step up and take responsibility for their sails 97% end up in landfills. Angela estimates each sail is equivalent to 10,000 water bottles.
Artivist Series - Bonnie Monteleone
Bonnie Montelone is a researcher, environmental science-educator, film maker, artist, and co-founder of the Plastic Ocean Project, a non-profit seeking science-based solutions to the global plastic pollution crisis. Bonnie has collected marine plastic on a global scale. She is affiliated with the Environmental Studies Department at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where she works as an Adjunct Instructor of Plastic Marine Debris Field Studies. She also serves as an advisor for students conducting research on marine plastic. Additionally, Bonnie is an artist who uses the plastic she’s collects to create visual stories about her research.
Artivist Series - Holly Rankin aka Jack River
Holly Rankin is the latest guest on the Women Mind the Water Artivist series on WomenMind theWater.com. Holly is an Australian singer/songwriter/festival promoter, and an activist in the areas of environmental and social justice. Also known as Jack River, her music often deals with difficult topics, like personal tragedy, climate change, and social justice. Holly believes transforming such messages into music has the power to inspire action.
Artivist Series - Kara Dodge
Kara Dodge is a research scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center in Boston. The Center is the research arm of the New England Aquarium. Kara’s specialty is the ecology of marine animals and more specifically sea turtles. There is artistry to Kara's scientific research and her use of cutting-edge technology like satellite tagging and drones. She works to enrich our knowledge of sea turtles and the impacts of humans on them.
Artivist Series -Hannah St. Luce Martinez
Hannah St. Luce-Martinez, well-versed in Belize’s natural and cultural resources, describes Belize, its natural resources, conservation and biodiversity, and the importance of promoting inclusivity and empowering youth and women.
Artivist Series - Hoku Cody
Hoku Cody, a Native Hawaiian, seabird biologist, and life-long ocean lover, protector, and advocate advocates for community stewardship in actions, that revitalize traditional rights within Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resource management industries. Hoku works with the National Ocean Protection Coalition to create and support marine protected areas and have the Pacific Remote Islands designated a National Marine Sanctuary.
Artivist Series - Vicki Nichols Goldstein
Vicki Nichols Goldstein is the latest guest on the Women Mind the Water Artivist Series podcast. Vicki is founder of the Inland Ocean Coalition. Her impressive credentials include a master’s degree in marine policy from Yale University and working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to co-write documents for the designation of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Vicki served as the Executive Director of the California-based Save Our Shores. When she moved to Colorado, she founded the Colorado Ocean Coalition and in 2017 Vicki rebranded it as the Inland Ocean Coalition. Inland Ocean Coalition empowers citizens wherever they live to be leaders and make positive contributions to ocean protection.
Artivist Series - Rebecca Rutstein
Rebecca Rutstein, an accomplished artist who has received many awards and been involved in numerous public exhibitions, is the latest guest on Women Mind the Water Artivist Series Podcast (womenmindthewater.com/featured-guests). Rebecca’s career has taken her to remarkable places including the high seas and the ocean floor. In all, her artwork strives to build connections with nature, inspire wonder, and foster environmental stewardship.
Artivist Series - Lisa Scali
Lisa Scali considers herself a foodie and a lover of the ocean. She is more than a co-owner of Ocean’s Balance and a chef, she is a proponent of eating more sustainably by consuming seaweed. Lisa who has lived in Paris and New York, two of the world’s best-known cities for foodies, now lives in Portland, Maine where she leads a culinary trend to encourage Americans to eat more seaweed, a plant that is farmed and harvested from the ocean.
Artivist Series -Tosha Grantham
Tosha Grantham is the latest guest on Women Mind the Water Artivist series on WomenMindtheWater.com. Tosha who holds an advanced degree from Howard University in art history, with a focus on contemporary art and specializations in American and African diaspora arts, lives in Florida where she learned about the work of Diving with a Purpose, an international nonprofit that for trains Black scuba divers to assist in the documentation of underwater culturally and environmentally important sites. Our conversation highlights her experiences with Diving with a Purpose and the important work they are doing. DWP focuses on both archaeological work on shipwrecks and ecological study of the health of coral beds.
Artivist Series -Abigail Carroll
Latest guest on Women Mind the Water Artivist Series (womenmindthewater.com) is Abigail Carroll, once an oyster farmer, she now advises/invests in high-growth start-ups focused on solving sustainability issues. We talk about women’s involvement in oyster farming in Maine, what it takes to be a successful innovator and what we can individuals do to foster a sustainable planet.
Artivist Series - Julia C R Gray
Julia CR Gray is the latest guest on the Women Mind the Water Artivist series podcast. The California-based artist has a connection to nature through her sculptures. Julia uses slip-casting and hand-building methods to mold female forms that represent the strength and vulnerability of women. A dichotomy that Julia believes women’s bodies share with the ocean. Julia’s love of nature, her walks on the beach at sunrise and contemplation of the perfect spiral of a seashell are evident in her sculptures.
Artivist Series - Dimitra Skandali
Dimitra Skandali grew up on Paros, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. She says the island has shaped the way she sees the world. Dimitra combines traditional fiber arts like crochet, embroidery, and weaving with sea grasses and beach trash as a way to focus attention on the ocean and the environmental issues that impact its health and sustainability. While her work is rooted in her relationship with the Aegean Sea, Dimitra also has ties to the Pacific Ocean, having spent almost a decade in California. By using beach trash and natural materials she explores sustainability and other environmental issues like ocean pollution. Her installations, which have been curated in more than 90 solo and group exhibitions worldwide, allude to increasing environmental risks alongside human migrations and struggles with identity.
Artivist Series - Maanarak of Grey
Manaarak of Grey is a visual artist and storyteller who lives in the Netherlands. Maanarak grew up on the Caribbean Island of Bonaire. She believes the ocean and water are a vital part of life for humans and the ecosystem. Maanarak likes to use her platform to talk about current issues and offer solutions from the perspective of someone who has studied international development management. On the Women Mind the Water Artivist Series she shares her thoughts about the ocean, plastic pollution, collaboration and art.
Artivist Series -Violet Sage Walker
Violet Sage Walker is the chairwoman of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council. Among her many passions and activities, she is an accomplished horsewoman, SCUBA diver, as well as steward of Chumash natural resources, culture and history. Violet carries on the legacy of her late father Chief Fred Collins who had a vision to protect a section of California coastline. He worked to have 156 miles designated as the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. It would be the 17th National Marine Sanctuary and the first Indigenous-led sanctuary. This marine sanctuary would serve as a natural bridge between the Channel Islands, and the Monterey Bay National Marine sanctuaries.
Artivist Series - Erin Smith
Erin Smith is the CEO of Ocean Sole, a social enterprise that upcycles flip-flops found along the beaches and waterways of Kenya. Started a decade ago, Ocean Sole has created a unique space to talk about flip flop debris and a successful model for cleaning up ocean trash, and transforming the trash into colorful sculptures, high fashion clothes, and mattresses.