Bridging Art and Climate Research for a Better Planet
Brushes for a Better Planet bridges art and climate research by uniting artists, academics, and communities in a hackathon and exhibition. It makes climate science accessible, centers lived experience, and fosters co-produced knowledge for climate justice.
Brushes for a Better Planet Coimbatore
In April 2025, Brushes for a Better Planet launched its inaugural program in Coimbatore. This initiative brought together local artists, climate researchers, and community members to co-create visual narratives about water scarcity, climate resilience, and sustainable futures.
Objectives
We aimed to
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Elevate local voices on climate justice issues
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Use art as a tool for environmental storytelling
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Create accessible, community-centered research outputs
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Foster interdisciplinary collaboration
The program featured a multi-day art and climate workshop in collaboration with local NGOs, followed by a public exhibition. Participants learned about climate impacts, shared lived experiences, and collaborated to produce original visual pieces.
The community also worked together to create a community mural, envisioning how they saw a just and sustainable Coimbatore. Co-created by artists, students, and community members, the mural depicted local landscapes, climate challenges, and hopeful solutions. It served as a living canvas of collective imagination—transforming individual experiences into a shared visual narrative that now stands as a lasting symbol of climate resilience and community voice.
+25 Participants at the Workshop
Natalie Callahan, a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar and arts accessibility activist, led the workshop. Natalie is a portrait artist. Fulbright-Nehru climate researcher, Lily Shan discussed the impacts of climate change in the Coimbatore community.
An exhibition was held the following day at Abhinayalaya Creative studio, bringing in local artists' work on the climate crisis from around Coimbatore. The exhibition was the culminating moment of Brushes for a Better Planet Coimbatore, showcasing the collaborative artworks created during the workshop. Featuring paintings, illustrations, and a large community mural, the event invited local residents, researchers, and artists to reflect on climate justice through a creative lens. The space became a site of dialogue, emotion, and connection—turning complex climate challenges into accessible, visual stories that resonated with the community.
+40 attendees at the exhibition
The success of the Coimbatore project affirmed the power of creative collaboration for climate communication. It set the stage for future Brushes for a Better Planet programs around the world.
Artists by Order:
Abhinav Anil (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Minakshi Medhi (6)
Varsha CB (7, 8, 9)
Devadharshini (10, 11, 12)
Our Partners
Brushes for a Better Planet Coimbatore would have never been as successful without our community partners, funders, and sponsors!
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