Saving the Rainforest: Art and Conservation in Papua New Guinea

Saving the Rainforest: Art and Conservation in Papua New Guinea will present the work of village artisans who are participating in rain forest conservation projects in the Crater Wildlife Management Area and the Maisin Community of Collingwood Bay. The exhibition organized by Seldon T. James, will include traditional decorated string bags, ancestor shields,  tapa cloth (decorated pounded treet bark), and other local crafts.

The exhibition will draw attention to the unique traditions of Papua New Guinean societies and to the pressing need for creating economic opportunities for sustainable rainforest use and conservation. The Maisin communities, for instance, area famous in Paupa New Guinea for being one of the first prominent communities to reject lucrative offers from overseas logging companies wishing to clear the Collingwood Bay area of its timber resources. The sale of tapa cloth offers a promising alternative to such a large scale commercial development that might foreclose future artistic and economic opprotunities. 

The exhibition will also highlight the efforts of several organizations who are working closely with local communities and landowners to achieve long-term conservation and development objectives. Two of these organizations, The Wildlife Conservation Society and Greenpeace Pacific, based outside Papua New Guinea, but they have forged constructive working relationships with national partner institutions, The Research of PNG and Conservation Foundation and Conservation Melanesia, respectively. These institutions and their international partners, in turn, work closely with the people of Crater Mountain and Collingwood Bay to develop enterprises. In line with these objectives, the Gallery will be selling some of the items presented in the exhibition. Proceeds will go directly to the local producers, thus enhancing the economic incentives for continued rainforest conservation on their lands.