As thousands of people gather in Detroit in April 2024 for the National Football League (NFL) draft, a large mural appealing to end ecological destruction will greet them in the city center.
Detroit, 14 October 2023 - Created by UK artist duo, Nomad Clan, and curated by non-profit, Street Art for Mankind (SAM), the evocative work of art is meant to inspire civic advocacy for the restoration of ecosystems and tree equity in communities. It is part of a series of #EcosystemRestorationMurals created around the world by SAM, in collaboration with the UN Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, to spark dialogue and action in support of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global effort to halt and revive biodiversity to prevent catastrophic climate change by 2030.
The initiative began with a large 40 meter high “Ecosystem Restoration” mural by artist Lula Goce in Brussels in 2021, followed by a 16-storey high mural by artist Martin Ron in Houston, Texas earlier this year, and a massive mural on the Javits Center in New York by artists Carlos Alberto during Climate Week and the UN General Assembly last month. Each mural carries a distinct and inspirational message on nature restoration.
The latest mural, painted in just ten days, features the Statue of Liberty, looking up to the skies which contain an abundance of nature. The iconic symbol of America is featured as a demonstration of strength and resolve to fight for urban and ecological revival in the USA and throughout the world. It will take a huge movement to rectify the damage that has already been done to nature – requiring reforestation, rewilding and conservation for global recovery. It is also about reclaiming our urban landscapes equally and for everyone, particularly in American rustbelt cities, such as Detroit, which is similar to cities in the industrial north of England where the artists hail from.
Countries around the world have committed to a new Global Biodiversity Framework to restore 30% of degraded lands and seas by 2030. Cities play a crucial role in this effort. Simple measures such as changing mowing patterns to let flowers bloom or greening rooftops, can have a huge impact on bringing nature back to our urban centers.
This mural is also part of a new Be the Change art walk curated and produced by SAM in partnership with the City of Detroit. The mural, inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and the resilience of the people of Detroit, will welcome citizens and visitors as a prelude to the NFL Draft that will take place in April 2024.
A free mobile app called “Behind the Wall®” published by SAM on Play Store and the App Store, works as an audio guide when scanning the mural. It enables the public to learn about ecosystem restoration, hear experts discuss the issue, listen to the artists describe the creation, and discover how they can take action to address the issue.
This Ecosystem Restoration mural is the third of a five-part series installed in the United States. It has been made possible due to the generous support of Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, a Diageo company which is a member of the UN Global Compact. In addition to this mural, Bulleit, in partnership with American Forests, planted trees in Detroit to improve tree equity.
Mural Address: back of 2115 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI 48201
QUOTES:
“The need for ecosystem restoration has never been more apparent and critical, as evidenced by the recent catastrophic fires, floods, and other extreme weather events,” said Rafael Peralta, Regional Director for North America, United Nations Environment Programme. “There is a unique opportunity for all of us to work together, and to do so by including everyone equally in the process, to re-establish a healthy, balanced connection between people and nature.”
“Trees play a key role in climate change, as urban forests are responsible for almost one-fifth of the country’s captured and stored carbon emissions. Preventing the degradation of our environment and restoring damaged ecosystems can provide a more promising future for planet Earth. Tree equity is part of the solution, and it is precisely murals such as this one by Nomad Clan together with Street Art for Mankind that demonstrate how we can ensure that everyone, including those in historically marginalized communities, can enjoy the benefits of tree canopy and green spaces. This mural can kick-start the dialogue on reforestation, rewilding and conservation, to catalyze environmental change and global healing.” Jocelyn Brown Hall, Director, Liaison Office at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAOLOW)
“We are proud to bring our Ecosystem Restoration murals series to Detroit with such a strong and symbolic masterpiece. This artwork, as a cry to civic advocacy is particularly meaningful in Detroit which has a rich history of civic engagement. We hope the public will take it in their hands to restore nature and tree equity within the local community. We are also excited by the exposure this mural will receive as part of our Detroit Be The Change outdoor museum that will kick-off the NFL draft in April 2024. Thank you to all our partners from UNEP, FAO, the City of Detroit and Bulleit for making it happen.” said Audrey and Thibault Decker, co-founders of Street Art for Mankind
PR Contacts: Laura Fuller, Regional Information Officer, UNEP North America: [email protected] Audrey Decker, Street Art for Mankind & Carlos Alberto:– [email protected] - +1 305 934 5501 https://streetartmankind.org/ecosystemrestoration/
Visual Assets: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Ov0HLQWR9Hu2muQz1MO1LTU2d_SwjDED
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Photo Credit: @dr_derek @zanemeyer for @StreetArtMankind
#StreetArtMankind #EcosystemRestorationMurals #GenerationRestoration #ForNature #ClimateAction #treeequity
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Nomad Clan
Nomad Clan is the collective of AYLO and Cbloxx, an internationally-acclaimed, street art muralist duo with bases in Manchester UK and Los Angles U.S.A. Through years of collaboration, Nomad Clan have fine-tuned their artistic fusion that delivers an unmistakable style. https://streetartmankind.org/artists/nomad-clan/
About the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 is a rallying call for the protection and revival of ecosystems across the world, for the benefit of people and nature. It aims to halt the degradation of ecosystems and restore them to achieve global goals. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade, which is led by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/
About Street Art for Mankind (SAM)
Street Art for Mankind (SAM) is a non-profit organization curating and producing large murals all around the world with prominent street artists. SAM’s goal is to raise awareness on social justice and environmental issues, and to give the public the means to become actors of change. https://streetartmankind.org/
About Bulleit Frontier Whiskey
Bulleit, founded in 1987, is one of the fastest-growing whiskeys in America. In 2017, Bulleit celebrated its 30th anniversary with the opening of a new, state-of-the-art distillery located in Shelbyville, KY. Constructed with a focus on sustainable practices including natural habitat protection, water conservation and local ingredient sourcing, BDC received the Highly Commended award for Sustainable Distillery of the Year at the 2020 Icons of Whisky Awards from Whisky Magazine. In 2021, Diageo opened its first carbon neutral whiskey distillery in Lebanon, KY with Bulleit being the first and leading brand being produced at the site supplementing existing production at the Bulleit Distilling Co. For more information, visit www.bulleit.com
About Ecosystem Restoration Mural
This initiative kicked off in Brussels, with a large 40 meter high “Ecosytem Restoration” mural by artist Lula Goce .
The second mural took place in Houston, where artist Martin Ron painted a 16-story high mural, highlighting growing trees as a way to restore local ecosystems and their functions for people and nature.
The third one was created in New York. As world leaders united in New York for Climate Week and the UN General Assembly, SAM created an immense, colorful 3D Ecosystem Restoration mural with artist Carlos Alberto, on the Javits Center during the Nest Climate Campus.
This mural appeared in Detroit is the latest one.It was created by artist duo Nomad Clan, cry to awaken civic advocacy in order to restore ecosystems and tree equity, is also part of a larger Detroit Be The Change open-air museum.