As the arts sector grapples with its impact on climate change, artists, institutions and art fairs are wondering how to measure and reduce the cost of their activities. Although there is no single solution, the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA) spent a year and a half creating a sustainability roadmap to reduce the climate impact of its Art exhibition fair. From biodegradable exhibitor badges to energy-efficient lighting, the roadmap offers sustainable alternatives for every aspect of production. The document will be publicly available for the benefit of other shows and exhibitors, and highlights the products vendors should expect to supply in the future.
The roadmap illustrates the power of collaboration. While planning for the 2022 edition of The Art Show, committee member Todd Hosfelt asked the ADAA to integrate sustainability into its operations. They agreed, and Hosfelt suggested bringing in design and architecture firm Gensler, which provides strategic sustainability and decarbonization initiatives for the built environment, but had never applied that support to an event like a art fair.
“We had to find a way to work with exhibitors to track their impact on the climate,” says ADAA executive director Maureen Bray. They reached out to Laura Lupton, co-founder of Galleries Commit, a sustainability group that helps create reports on the climate impact of exhibits. “Laura customized her form for The Art Show exhibitors. We tested the result on five willing exhibitors and will expand this group in 2023.”
Only through collective effort will it be possible to enact real environmental change
Maureen Bray, Executive Director, ADAA
The process was “eye-opening and humbling,” says Hosfelt. “A deep dive into the shows associated with an art fair was illuminating and sobering.” The main emissions were from travel and transportation of artwork, followed by accommodation, printing and lighting. The report also highlighted areas where the fair and exhibitors were already taking action to reduce emissions, such as the use of sustainable signage.
A key feature of the roadmap is its multi-level approach to sustainable strategies. With guidance from Gensler, the team assigned a timeline and priority level for each strategy, taking into account limiting factors such as budgets. Short-term (one to two years) strategies include low-carbon travel options, while mid-term (three to five years) and long-term (five+ years) shifts focus on projects more important, such as the design of stands.
“The key is to make it as simple as possible,” says Hosfelt. “If, starting with the application process and going through all phases of design, logistics and the show itself, people know what the carbon implications of their different choices are, and you give them options, they can make informed decisions.
Bray offers a similar message of hope to those who debate the “admittedly daunting” task of addressing sustainability: “You can’t do it alone, and you can’t expect to do it all at once,” says -She. “The art world must unite to ensure the sustainability of our common future; only through collective effort will it be possible to enact real environmental change greater than the sum of our individual actions.
A holistic approach was also advocated during a two-day summit in London last monthorganized by the Climate Coalition Gallery (GCC), an international charity originally set up by a group of merchants in 2020. Beyond the commercial sector, the summit focused on environmental issues facing UK public arts institutions, with speakers such as Areeba Hamid, co-executive director of Greenpeace UK; Nick Merriman, director of the Horniman Museum; and Frances Morris, the outgoing director of the Tate, who said museums “need to rethink the collecting model”.
In order to keep moving the needle, last month the GCC also launched the designation of active member, which requires its members to complete an emissions report or carbon footprint and set targets accordingly; establish internal “green teams”; and publish an environmental responsibility statement outlining their commitment to action.
