Tosha Grantham
Tosha Grantham is the latest guest on Women Mind the Water Artivist series on WomenMindtheWater.com. Tosha holds an advanced degree from Howard University in art history, with a focus on contemporary art and specializations in American and African diaspora arts. She 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. The podcast 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. The archaeological "work creates a richer and more voluminous understanding of African and African American people in very many layers. We are working on reconciling deep and painful experiences through locating and doing the actual research to know what the experiences of those people lost at sea were and to include that in stories we have of survival and being.”Tosha with coral for DWP is another way for her to contribute. She knows that the ocean is important in many ways and that it is important to keep it healthy for now and future generations. The work also helps her as an artist to see more of the world and expand her perspective. She says we must find ways not to use so much energy and find alternatives that make us better stewards. Tosha sees this connection as making the task of maintaining and restoring the ocean a little less daunting.
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.
Julia CR Gray
Julia C R 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.