‘The Ways of Water’ symposium invites artists, activists spur conversations on water justice and conservation

Source: Meghan Kunkle and Natalie Anderson, The Michigan Daily

Artists, activists and scholars alike gathered together the weekend of Oct. 7 for the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) and Stamps Gallery’s “The Ways of Water” two-day symposium. The showcased exhibits — UMMA’s “Watershed” and Stamps Gallery’s “LaToya Ruby Frazier: Flint Is Family in Three Acts” — tackled the past, present and future of environmental justice and access to clean water.

The final session of the symposium, “Water Futures,” focused on how communities and cities could move forward with innovative ways to give equal access to clean water. The panelists were introduced by moderator, María Arquero de Alarcón, associate architecture and urban planning professor.

Engineering professor Branko Kerkez, one of the panelists, gave insight into what students can do to help the community be more aware of the issues happening around them.