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35Credits & Acknowledgments Art & Ecology Learning Guides The HighWaterLine ACTION Guide is the first in series of ten guides that will be developed in 2013–14 by ecoartspace, a nonprofit platform for artists addressing environmental issues. Each guide will support both learning institutions and community organizations that are interested in educating youth and adults about the principles of ecology through aesthetic experiences in the natural and built environments. Ecoartspace was founded in Los Angeles in 1997 by Patricia Watts, who partnered with Amy Lipton in New York City in 1999. They created one of the first websites that offered information on artists who, through their artworks, teach about our interdependence with the natural world. In 2000, Watts and Lipton developed an art and nature program, bringing artists into classrooms in Malibu, California, and New York City. This project was the initial inspiration to develop arts activities for both in school and in after-school programs. The ecoartspace Art & Ecology Learning Guide Series is in no way meant to be a replacement for federal or state standards-based curricula. In fact, these guides are just that—guides for educators to teach science and art using aesthetic expression as a facilitation tool for dialogue and visualization. Studies show that approximately 65 percent of the population are visual learners, and yet the arts are often an afterthought in educational institutions. The learning guides aim to address this by sharing stories about the artists’ projects in the public sphere, and to generate similar placed based projects in communities globally, thereby reducing human impacts on the environment. Eve Mosher’s HighWaterLine project has inspired many artists and brought forth the idea that artists can make a difference in educating the public about a range of important issues. Although Mosher does not see her work as a performance, it does display a performative aspect that creates unique opportunities for learning by participants. This form of art, known as Social Practice, sees knowledge as a key component of community regeneration and part of a wider lifelong learning agenda. We hope that you find this guide valuable for yourself and for all participants. Your feedback is always welcome! Patricia Watts Founder and West Coast curator ecoartspace.org

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