Worldwide Contest to Harness The Creative Economy with An Art Call to Inspire Action on the Urgent Climate Crisis And to Build A More Sustainable Future

One Artist will be Commissioned to Paint a Street Art Mural in New York City and 10 Artists will get to Showcase their Work Virtually and throughout the City during Climate Week

New York, NY - GreenPoint Innovations (GPI), in collaboration with The Climate Group’s Climate Week NYC and the United Nations SDG Action Campaign, today announced the launch of GreenPoint EARTH: Screens2Streets (GPE2020: S2S), an official Climate Week NYC event and competition for artists to harness the incredible power of art to illuminate climate change solutions, raise awareness about climate-related issues and inspire the world to rebuild environmentally smarter and healthier communities. GPI will announce 10 ‘Screens’ Awardees and one ‘Streets’ winner during Climate Week NYC.

GreenPoint EARTH 2020: Screens2Streets is a unique worldwide program of art activations that will commence virtually through our ‘Screens’ with an online arts storytelling and a juried prize competition for works around the 10 Climate Week 2020 themes. It will then move to the “Streets” with the new commissioned street mural. 

“We are thrilled to host an official Climate Week NYC initiative with artists, industry leaders, and our partners at the UN SDG Action Campaign and The Climate Group to inspire climate and sustainability solutions through arts-based storytelling,” said Founder of GreenPoint Innovations and Curator of GPE2020:S2S Stephen Donofrio. “We are committed to creating unique opportunities that will uplift and showcase artists’ work that inspires everyone, regardless of creed or demographic, to take climate action while at the same time igniting meaningful dialogue and awareness around environmental justice issues impacting our communities.”

GreenPoint “Screens” Prize: 

All creators of contemporary visual arts disciplines over the age of 18 are encouraged to submit their work for consideration through our simple online portal at https://www.greenpoint.earth/screens2streets. Winners, one in each of the 10 Climate Week themes (Clean Energy Transition, Transport and Infrastructure, Industry and Built  Environment, Finance, Investment and Jobs, Food and Land Use, Nature and Science, US and International Policy, Youth, Public Mobilization and Justice, Sustainable Travel and Tourism, Climate Impacts and Adaptation) will be unveiled during Climate Week NYC September 21st-27th and be showcased in a series of digital exhibitions and across all partner social media channels. Winners will also receive a $500 cash prize.  The deadline to apply for the GreenPoint “Screens” Prize is September 13, 2020, at 11:59 pm EST.

GreenPoint “Streets” Prize 

One artist will win a $2,500 cash prize to paint a new street art mural in NYC connected to the “Nature & Science” theme to be unveiled during Climate Week NYC 2020. The mural will be produced by GreenPoint Innovations / GreenPoint EARTH, in collaboration with community-based organization Newtown Creek Alliance. The funding is being provided in part by New York State Pollution Prevention Institute, with materials being provided by Materials for the Arts. GreenPoint will document the entire street art process to be shared across all partner social media channels, and for the creation of a short film. Proposals will be accepted at https://www.greenpoint.earth/screens2streets until August 31, 2020, at 9 am EST. All submissions and proposals should inspire communities to take action on climate change and sustainability issues.

“The Arts are one of the few areas in our society where people come together to share an experience even if they see the world in radically different ways and can trigger bold individual and collective actions, turning around the pre-COVID-19 world and create an equitable, sustainable and inclusive world,” said Marina Ponti, Global Director of UN SDG Action Campaign. “This moment calls for creators to join us in dreaming up, designing, and shaping the vision of this new world”.

Adam Lake, Head of Climate Week NYC at the Climate Group said, “This is a really exciting and innovative project that will inspire more people to engage in climate action on a global scale. Climate Week NYC is proud to support Greenpoint Innovations and looks forward to providing a platform that will showcase the diverse range of creativity and personality that New York is famous for. As the city prepares to host the biggest climate event of 2020, GreenPoint Earth: 2020 Screens2Streets will reinforce how art and storytelling can be a powerful tool in educating, inspiring, and sharing our vision for a more sustainable future.”

Since 2016, GPI has teamed up with artists to produce awareness-raising and inspiring GreenPoint EARTH ‘art + purpose’ activations during the UN Secretary General’s Climate Summit and Climate Week NYC. Prior project collaborators have included UNFCCC, UNICEF, Global Landscapes Forum, Wildlife Conservation Society, Nature4Climate, NYC Parks Department, NYC Department of Education, among others. In September 2019, GPI launched GreenPoint EARTH  to serve as the company’s creative 'art plus purpose' hub to advance climate goals and nature-based solutions through public art and cleantech activations. 

For more information visit https://www.greenpoint.earth/screens2streets for the submission form, and for artists prompts social media toolkits and more.

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About GreenPoint EARTH (www.gpi.nyc & www.greenpoint.earth)

GreenPoint Earth is a project of GreenPoint Innovations, an arts production, storytelling, events, and creative activations organization established in 2014, and dedicated to advancing awareness and understanding of local and global sustainability initiatives. Beginning in 2016, during the UN Secretary General’s Climate Summit and Climate Week NYC, GPI,  has developed activations with internationally-acclaimed artists to produce public art that inspires communities to take action on climate change and related Sustainable Development Goals. In 2019, GPI launched GreenPoint EARTH, to continue this work by leveraging the incredible power of public art to inspire climate action with positive messages about the interconnected themes of nature, people, and climate. Previous activations have been supported by leading intergovernmental, local government, civil society, and for-profit organizations, including the UNFCCC, UNICEF, Global Landscapes Forum, Wildlife Conservation Society, Nature4Climate, NYC Parks Department, NYC Department of Education, among others. 

About The Climate Group / Climate Week NYC

The Climate Group drives climate action. Fast. Our goal is a world of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, with greater prosperity for all. We focus on systems with the highest emissions and where our networks have the greatest opportunity to drive change. We do this by building large and influential networks and holding organizations accountable, turning their commitments into action. We share what we achieve together to show more organizations what they could do. We are an international non-profit organization, founded in 2004, with offices in London, New Delhi, and New York. We are proud to be part of the We Mean Business coalition. Follow us on Twitter @ClimateGroup. Climate Week NYC is the time and place where the world gathers to showcase amazing climate action and discuss how to do more. Run by the Climate Group, in association with the United Nations and the City of New York, Climate Week NYC annually brings together voices from across the spectrum to debate and implement climate action now.

About The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Action Campaign

The United Nations Secretary-General established the UN SDG Action Campaign to bring people together from every part of the world to act on the SDGs and to hold decision-makers to account for progress. Through compelling and creative SDG outreach and communications, we serve UN Member States and the United Nations whilst bridging thinkers and doers from civil society, local governments, think tanks, the arts and culture, the media, and the business world. It mobilizes individuals to champion the SDGs in homes, communities, and beyond. At a moment of acute crisis in our world, the UN SDG Action Campaign seizes opportunities to rethink messaging, call to action, and reorient policy-making towards the Goals. To achieve our common Goals by 2030, the UN SDG Action Campaign engages with all those committed to sustainable development: United Nations agencies, businesses, local and national governments, creatives, SDG activists working relentlessly to surmount global challenges, and more. Through tailored advocacy and communications, we build powerful networks that reach millions worldwide, urge decision-makers to act, and impel momentum.