By Johanna Kunz
My introduction to sustainability began in ninth grade, with a school project that challenged us to research an issue we cared deeply about and educate others to inspire positive change. I chose to explore fast fashion—something I had heard of but never truly understood. Like many people, I was aware that our planet is struggling, but I never realized how much power we hold in something as simple as our clothing.
But with such an overwhelming issue, I began to ask myself: What can we actually do? How can we make meaningful changes in our everyday lives, without feeling powerless? That question stayed with me. I didn’t want to just feel educated—I wanted to feel empowered.
As an artist, I turned to what I knew best: creativity. One of the pieces that felt most connected to my exploration of sustainability is Wishing Wings. It’s a mixed-media illustration created entirely of recycled materials—things that would have been thrown away. The pelican at the center of the piece is made from layers of old prints, magazines, and packaging materials, all pieced together to form something new. The bird itself is built off the page in high relief, creating a sense that it is rising above the waste it’s made of, as if lifting off to something better.The background, which at first looks like a typical horizon, actually forms the shape of a graph showing the rise in microplastics in the ocean over time. It’s meant to be a quiet reminder that the beauty of nature, while powerful, is being overshadowed by the human impact on our environment.
In addition to my personal work, I’ve also had the opportunity to collaborate with the Office of Sustainability for Earth Day through a community event called Sustain on the Plains. The concept for this event came from a close friend of mine, KA Davis, who approached me with the idea of combining sustainability, creativity, and technology in a way that would engage people directly in the process of giving their old clothing a new life. The goal was simple: to encourage people to rethink how they interact with the clothes they already have and inspire them to create something new from what they’ve been holding onto.
For the event, we invited attendees to bring in their old or used T-shirts, which they could then transform using customizable stamps I had designed and laser-cut onto cork. The stamps allowed people to make their own unique designs on their T-shirts, giving them a way to personalize clothing that might otherwise have been thrown away. It was an opportunity to creatively engage with something old, to give it a new story and a new purpose.
The event wasn’t just about repurposing clothes—it was about showing that sustainability can be fun and accessible. It’s not just about restricting ourselves or giving things up, but about using creativity as a way to make positive changes in our everyday lives.
Working with KA on Sustain on the Plains reminded me of the power of collaboration, especially when it comes to sustainability. By bringing together art, design, and technology, we were able to create an event that invited people to actively rethink their relationship with their clothing. It also helped me realize that sustainability doesn’t have to be a solo effort. When we work together, when we share ideas, we can make a much greater impact.
Both Wishing Wings and Sustain on the Plains showed me that art has a unique role to play in environmental activism. It’s not just about raising awareness; it’s about giving people the tools and the opportunity to make their own changes, too. Whether it’s reimagining what we already have or encouraging others to engage in the creative process, art can inspire action and help us build a more sustainable future.
