Blue Earth: Art as Activism

Seattle’s Daniel Beltra is an assignment photographer for Greenpeace who has spent over two decades documenting man’s devastating impact on the planet. “Amazon: Forest at Risk” is an extensive collection of work based on his repeated travels to Brazil. These beautiful yet grim shots—the rainforest canopy in flames, a monkey found dead with his mouth open in a silent scream—serve as a poignant reminder that the country’s tropical landscape is rapidly deteriorating. “The majority of people don’t have the opportunity to travel to the remote locations where I work,” he wrote in an e-mail from Haiti, where he’s currently capturing the earthquake aftermath. “I feel a responsibility to document what’s happening to our environment for them to see . . . and hopefully inspire them to act.” Also on display as part of PCNW’s exhibit “Blue Earth: Art as Activism” (through Feb. 28) is work by Heather McClintock and Rozarii Lynch. PCNW, 900 12th Ave., 720-7222. pcnw.org. Free. Opening reception: 6–9 p.m. ERIKA HOBART
Mondays-Sundays. Starts: Feb. 5. Continues through Feb. 28, 2010