AC Interview | Paige Reitz + Joey Lynch
photo: Dana Damewood
photo: Dana Damewood
We sat down recently with Paige Reitz, Deputy Director at the Union for Contemporary Art and Joey Lynch, the Union’s Director of Facilities and Sustainability to talk about the organization’s move to zero waste, the intersections of social justice and ecological justice, and collectively moving the goalpost toward carbon neutrality. Listen to the conversation below or on Amplify’s Anchor page and share your thoughts in the comments section.
Transcription
Interviewer: Peter Fankhauser, Program Director at Amplify Arts
Interviewee 1: Paige Reitz, Deputy Director at the Union for Contemporary Art
Interviewee 2: Joey Lynch, Director of Facilities and Sustainability at the Union for Contemporary Art
Date of Interview: Jan 31, 2020
List of Acronyms: PF = Peter Fankhauser; PR = Paige Reitz; JL = Joey Lynch
[PF] You're listening to Amplify Arts’ Alternate Currents interview series. Alternate Currents opens space for conversation, discussion, and action around national and international issues in the arts that have a profound impact at the local level. This interview series is just one part of the Alternate Currents blog: a dedicated online resource linking readers to topical articles, interviews, and critical writing that shine a spotlight on artist-led policy platforms, cross-sector partnerships, and artist driven community change. Visit often and join the conversation at www.amplifyarts.org/alternate-currents.
We recently sat down with Paige Reitz, Deputy Director at the Union for Contemporary Art and Joey Lynch, the Union's Director of Facilities and Sustainability to talk about the organization's move to zero waste, the intersection of social justice and ecological justice, and collectively moving the goalpost toward carbon neutrality.
[PR] I'm Paige Reitz. I'm the Deputy Director at the Union for Contemporary Art. I've been there as an administrator, and in a lot of different capacities, for the past six years. Before that, I spent a year working in philanthropy at the Omaha Community Foundation and before that, I worked in vintage retail.
[JL] I’m Joey Lynch. I’m currently the Facilities Director at the Union for Contemporary Art and I've been in that capacity for four years now as of a week ago. Before that I was, for a lack of a better term, an independent artist and was part of a touring crew for musicians.
[PF] Didn’t you have a hand in Tugboat’s [Lincoln, NE] founding and operations for a long time?
[JL] Yeah, I helped found Tugboat with Peggy Gomez and Jay Gillespie and then moved to Omaha to try do an offshoot of that.
[PF] And then ended up at the Union?
[JL] Yep.
[PF] That’s great. Thank you both for coming in today. So the Union has adopted a no waste policy and is implementing that now. Can you talk a little bit about that policy?
[JL] Yes we're in the process of going into zero waste. As a staff, we're trying to grow it trying to figure out what's going to work best within our programming, as well as other organizations’ use of the space. So when they come in, we're trying to figure out our best plan of action to keep that going while they're in space. When [other organizations] come in for a lunch, how are we going to implement that? What does that look like in practical terms? All of our dish ware is compostable now and when [when other organizations use the space] we make that a requirement: that we are supplying the cups and the utensils and things like that. All of our products are then compostable, so right there, first and foremost, we're looking at like what are we throwing away in the largest quantities.
[PR] The one thing I'm thinking about is that I don't think we've had any discussions at the organizational level of it being a “no waste” policy. I think that we're very aware that that's probably something, based on what the resources we have and what we can do, might not be possible. It's really, for us, about more mindful waste or more mindful allocation of where we put our waste. Prior to moving to this new model, if there were [leftover] strawberries that we cut, they were either going to the compost out in the garden, or a thrown away. So [we asked ourselves] how could we set up our internal system so that we're putting things, as much as possible, into a reuse cycle versus not. That doesn't mean there's no trash. We still have trash.
[PF] Right. Are there some broader organizational values that prompted that decision?
[JL] Using art as a vehicle for social change—I feel like organizational changes regarding the environment can be seen as social change. We would like to be a model for that as well, recognizing that it is important and [asking] what can we do about it internally, even to a small scale.
[PR] In terms of making the decision to to move in this direction—I’m sure we'll shout them out a couple times— Hillside Solutions is one of the reasons we're even able to do this work because they have systems beyond what happens outside of our building in place for us to be able to then internally start to move things in the way that they're moving. They have energy bags and industrial compost, so it's not just produce and eggshells but it's everything and anything that's edible. Anything that’s ever been alive—petroleum, petrochemical, plastics—all of that can can go to their site to be composted in an industrial capacity.
Along the lines of what Joey was saying, in terms of organizational values that this ties into, I think that as a model for using art for social change and knowing that we're in in this climate crisis, the reuse cycle is a huge part of that. How can we model what even small steps look like as an institution?
[JL] And really, this could be seen as probably one of the easiest steps to take. It just takes a couple extra minutes and separate some things out to make a difference.
[PF] So in practical implementation, is that what it comes down to? Is it really as easy as just sorting through some trash bins, or is there more to it?
[JL] There's a little more time on my [end] going through and separating the whole buildings’ waste into different containers. We've been revising and revising it to make it work more efficiently, because if it doesn't work efficiently, as you know, we have a lot of other functions and a lot of other things to do in the building, so if we can't make it efficient, then it's gonna be really hard for us to do it properly.
[PR] The first time we did this was with Omaha Zine Fest and it was before we implemented the Hillside Solutions set-up in our building. But we worked something out with them where we delivered everything out to their site out west and that's the first time we learned there’s a back end [process] and people digging through the trash to really separate it out. You know, honestly we probably don't send everything to them perfectly and then there's a whole team of people at recycling centers that have to do that, so there’s this constant labor involved in making sure that those streams get separated.
[PF] I think that's an interesting point to bring up. When we think about recycling processes and composting processes, it seems like a lot of those processes are resource intensive and labor intensive and you can make the argument that they leave a bigger footprint in the end than implementing policies that curtail use, or at least impose a limit. Do you have conversations as a staff or leadership committee about developing an organizational ethic that's rooted in care or sustainability?
[PR] At an organizational level, I think all standing around in the staff office pointing it where things go and how we want to set things up. I wish I could say ‘yeah, we're really strategic about all of this.’
[PF] I feel like the Union's in a special position because of the organization's emphasis on social justice. That sets it apart from collecting institutions that serve as cultural repositories for static objects. You're more of a living institution. You emphasize interactivity and [principles] of social social justice that need to be embodied and enacted. When you think about the pressures that the climate crisis presents particularly in front-line communities—communities that are comprised of black and brown people—how do you see the Union's role changing or evolving as the climate crisis intensifies and more frontline communities are faced with the disproportionately negative impacts of climate change?
[PR] One thing that we're working on right now, and I think this goes back to one of our core values of dialogue and how we know that's a pivotal aspect of even starting change, with our exhibition Undesign the Redline, which looks at redlining practices that were happening in the 30s to the 60s. On one level, you can look at [redlining] as policies [that geographically divided] neighborhoods that created inequities, but there's a ton of research right now about how the climate change is continuing to disproportionately affect communities of color and especially communities that were redlined. We're talking about showing documentary that specifically talks a huge heat wave in Chicago 25 years ago. The media and the mayor were presenting it as a disaster of nature with record high temperatures, but then when you take a map of where people died from the heat wave and the redlining map, they're almost synonymous with each other. People weren't dying because of heat people were dying because of lack of resources, because of disjointed communities.
There's a lot of things I'm learning about Disaster Response and how we allocate budgets for disaster response. Most of the people who are in charge are white and maybe don't necessarily pull these ideas into their budgets. So they’re spending money on equipment, they're spending money on water, and things that can come into a community but what we know is that [those things won’t] save you when you're in immediate danger. What would have saved these people in the heatwave is stronger community connections and neighbors knocking on a door or to say, “Come stay in my apartment. I have AC.” But a lot of people died alone in their boarded-up window apartment and some people aren't found for weeks because nobody was checking on them. So how does this all tie back into those practices of redlining and intentionally disjointing communities?
[PF] And redistributing resources. Do you think about the Union as a community space, in addition to thinking about it as an art space, where on a 110 degree day, people can come hang out, cool down, and feel welcome?
[JL] We do. I mean, that already does happen. The idea and the hope is that everyone is comfortable there and would feel comfortable doing that. With redlining, there was a study that NPR reported on recently that found redlined communities are actually also hotter by, I think the biggest spread was near 10 degrees.
[PF] Was that the heat island effect?
[PR] Yeah, due to lack of tree canopies and public green spaces. So we’re using that exhibition as a conversation starter to then push for changes in how we're planning our cities and how we're allocating money to address these issues and inequities.
[PF] That’s a great segue into talking about cross-sector or cross organizational policies and initiatives that we can adopt collectively to work to address some of these emerging problems and problems that will likely intensify over the next 20, 30, 50, or however many years out we want to look. Do you see any cross-sector initiatives or cross organizational initiatives happening in Omaha specifically, that if implemented well and continued, could help address some of the disproportionately negative effects that climate change has on frontline communities?
[JL] I think that's a great question.
[PR] I know that right now there is a UNO / city planning initiative to address tree canopies in North Omaha. A lot of those conversations are centered in Undesigned the Redline, like pulling in research [to ask] how we in the cultural sector can use our platforms as starters of conversation to then push for greater partnerships and policy changes. Truthfully, that's where I see change happening. We can all compost and we can all sort our plastics and send them to create deck composite, but until there's major structural policy changes on the international level, what’s going to change? That starts with people being inspired because they're doing it on a small scale.
[PF] That brings up another point about the way climate change is framed more broadly in national and international discourse. There's a lot of talk about the costs of moving to a carbon neutral energy production system and all of the money that goes into creating that infrastructure. Admittedly, those costs are huge, but I feel like what's discussed less often is the cost of not doing it.
[PR] I think for me that's still one of our most disjointed points and I don't think it's just unique to Omaha. I think it's all across the country. In the [cultural] sector, we know how to start the conversation, but we don't necessarily know how to do the next steps. That's not how cultural workers are trained. We can find the artist having really meaningful conversations; we can present that to the public and go on these deep dive conversations with people but then how do we rally to advocate? [How do we] communicate to donors that it's important to have people on staff that are just doing the advocacy work and not doing all the other things? Those next steps to truly implement change, for some reason, our sector hasn't decided that's an important piece of the puzzle.
That's a conversation we've had with the Nebraska Civic Engagement Table. We've been a member since they founded and they're just now rolling out this new sort of membership model where they have members and they have partners and honestly, we would love to be a member. We would love to have the capacity to, with every exhibition, ask what issues or inequities are we addressing and do deep dive research into what LBs are being presented or proposed at the state level, and rally our audience to advocate for those things. But it's a capacity issue for us. I see that being the next step to get the ball rolling [and make] these much larger shifts. It has to be at a policy level.
[JL] I really there feel like there are probably few processes that can't be done ethically. There are just [sectors] that have chosen not to just because of cost; because of economic reasons. That's where [we’re going with climate]. I mean, the bigger conversation is that the dollar amount shouldn't matter as much anymore. There need to be bigger changes because otherwise, what's the point of a dollar?
[PF] Speaking of money, when we're thinking about funding and institutional funding specifically, a lot of institutions, particularly in the UK, are moving toward divestment models where they no longer [accept sponsorships] from fossil fuel industries. How do we navigate the murky waters of institutional funding that comes from things like fossil fuels, industrial agriculture, and other big emissions contributors?
[PR] That poses the question: is any money clean money? Is any dollar that you have in your pocket from a place that is not already muddied in all of these things?
[PF] It’s really a question with no good answer.
[PR] Yeah, there's no good answer. I would argue that there is no clean money. There's no such dollar that was produced.
[JL] Yes, but there has to be a line that would be drawn. Where do we draw that line?
[PF] What do you think? Is it an ethical line that we draw?
[JL] I assume it would vary from organization to organization. It would be depend where the values of that organization lie.
[PR] I haven't read up a ton on this, but in the UK is that model possible because of the money that they're getting from the government? And then, is that just [another] filter? The money that they're getting from the government to pay for their institutions also comes from the same sources. I'm not saying ‘take all the money’ and I agree with Joey that [there has to be a] line. In a lot of ways, who you have on your donor wall shows partnership. I think that our responsibility is not to excommunicate but [instead], if there's an issue, bring that to the table before drawing the line. It's a super tricky question.
[JL] Part of it is knowing what your bargaining power as an institution. The Tate [for example] is not going to close. It's going to be made sure by someone that they're not going to close. They obviously have an easy time picking and choosing who they get money from.
[PF] That's a practice that may not be scalable for smaller institutions. I also feel like there's something to be said, back to your point Paige, about whether there’s any such thing as clean money. All of us are implicated in one way or another and complicit. So maybe the question becomes what do we do with those funds? How do we advance conversations that have a positive social impact as opposed to reinforcing the structural barriers that keep us from talking about things like climate change and ecological justice?
[PR] We had an interesting conversation when we were going through strategic planning two years ago. [Someone asked the question:] if Trump was in Omaha and wanted to come to the Union today, would you let him? I thought it was an interesting conversation amongst the staff. Some people said absolutely not and some were like, ‘well maybe we could change his mind!’ Where is that line of who you let [into your organization]? What's that responsibility as an institution to keep the doors open or shut them physically or in regards to money?
[JL] I feel like, in a way, that smaller organizations, specifically arts organizations, in the city could unionize together and have a larger bargaining power. There could there be a faster or stronger push if there was more unification. But that's tricky because then everyone has their own organizational values.
[PF] That’s a good point. The Tate declared a climate emergency, but like you said, it's a huge organization. Funding isn't really a question at this point. I wonder what it would mean if arts organizations across Omaha got together and declared a climate emergency? How would these conversations be pushed forward from there and what would that mean?
[PR] I think that [speaks] to the conversations that are already starting about our shared policies [as a cultural sector]. That conversation, because of the city we live in, goes immediately to social concerns but how are climate concerns a part of that?
[PF] Yeah, ecological justice is social justice.
I think that's a great place to leave it. Thank you again for coming in and talking to us today. Do you have anything coming up at the Union or in your respective practices that you'd like to plug?
[JL] I'm just training you back in the studio.
[PR] That’s a good goal. Undesign the Redline is up at least through the year and Talia Rodgers’s show, You make my heart smile but you also make my eyes cry is up until March 14th.
[PF] Thank you again. We appreciate you.
*This transcript has been edited for clarity.