Inspiration Book: Arts and 

Experiential Learning 

Building the Foundation for Arts and 

Experiential Learning Partnerships for 

Mitigation and Resilience 

V1 Last Edited 5262022 Image Credit: Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision/Getty Images 
How to Use This Resource 

This Inspiration Book is a resource for FEMA, partners and communities to begin 

discussions around building resilience through Arts and Experiential Learning. 

This book includes key considerations for starting a project and inspiring examples of 

projects from around the world. 

The Inspiration Book seeks to answer the following questions: 

1 2 3 4 

What are art and What are the benefits of arts What are some initial steps to What are inspirational 

experiential learning and experiential learning as begin an arts or experiential examples of arts and 

projects? part of an overall community learning project? experiential learning related to 

engagement strategy? preparedness and resilience? 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 2 
Content 

1 

3 

2 

Overview: Arts and Experiential Learning 

Getting Started 

Project Inspiration Library 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 3 
1 Overview: 

Arts and Experiential Learning 
 redit: Superkilen Park, Copenhagen, Denmark; Getty

Art and experiential learning 

tap into sights, sounds, 

motions and emotions. 

They enable us to use community 

identity and culture to ignite change 

in ways data alone cannot. 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 5 1 Overview: Arts and Experiential Learning 
Making the Connection: Arts and Resilient Communities 

"Can you use the words “art” and “hazard mitigation” in the same sentence? Yes, you can! These words are not 

often connected, but a meaningful and powerful relationship does exist between art and hazard mitigation." 

"Art is all around us—in murals, sculpture, literature and music. It has the power to spark conversations, build 

risk awareness, grow a community’s intuitive understanding of place, and boost civic pride that can strengthen 

resilience-building efforts. Art can resonate deeply with people, bonding communities and inspiring civic 

creativity around many things, including mitigation that could otherwise be difficult to initiate." 

"Ultimately, resilient communities are connected communities; arts and culture stakeholders, in creating 

a sense of place and belonging, can bring people together, strengthen their bonds, and help them connect 

and protect each other before (and after) a disaster." 

FEMA Guide to Expanding Mitigation: Connecting Mitigation and Arts and Culture 

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Federal Emergency Management Agency

What are Arts and Experiential Learning? 

Art encompasses a broad array 

of expressions including visual, auditory, 

experiential, interactive and/or other 

sensory installations. Art speaks 

to personal, family, community and 

cultural values. 

Experiential learning places people 

in real-life situations or uses simulations 

to create memorable experiences. 

Experiential learning engages people 

in a tangible way. 

Overview: Arts and Experiential Learning 

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Awareness

Action

Belief

Value

Ability

Building a Culture of Preparedness and Resilience 

Overview: Arts and Experiential Learning 

Arts and experiential learning can help communities Moving from Awareness to Action 

understand risk and build a culture of preparedness and 

resilience. 

Experiential learning and art are two approaches that can 

help deliver unique and innovative experiences in unexpected 

ways. These experiences create opportunities to connect with 

people beyond an initial encounter. They can turn risk 

awareness into a memorable moment. 

Arts and experiential learning help advance FEMA’s mission of 

building a culture of preparedness by engaging and 

empowering communities. They also help communities move 

from awareness of risk to mitigation action. 

Awareness 

Belief 

Value 

Ability 

Action 

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Driving Equity and Increasing Accessibility 

Arts and experiential learning can drive equitable engagement and increase accessibility to 

resilience messaging. 

Arts and experiential learning allow FEMA and partners to engage with communities in non-technical, 

direct and inclusive ways. They make risk and mitigation information more accessible to broader 

audiences. 

Arts and experiential learning demonstrate FEMA’s core values of compassion, fairness, integrity and 

respect. These types of engagement can reach community members from diverse backgrounds, because 

they transcend cultural, linguistic and even perceived barriers. They provide new and impactful ways of 

communicating. 

Overview: Arts and Experiential Learning 

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Driving Equity and Increasing Accessibility 

Arts and experiential learning can be designed to serve whole communities for effective and inclusive 

engagement. Key equity and accessibility considerations for a potential project may include: 

Location 

Is the event, experience, or exhibit in a location that reaches 

historically marginalized and under-represented groups or is 

focused on reaching a more inclusive audience? 

Accessibility 

Is the event, experience, or exhibit able to be accessed or attended 

by as many people as possible? Is it ADA-compliant, culturally 

sensitive, etc.? 

Representation 

Does the event, experience, or exhibit (or the artists and organizers 

involved) represent specific or broader audiences from different 

cultures, ethnicities, races, genders, sexual orientations, religions, 

ages, etc.? 

Focus 

Is a focus on equity at the core of the creation and/or 

experience of the art, exhibit, event or experience? If so, how? 

Identity 

What races, gender(s), and other expressed aspects of the 

artist(s) or organizer(s) identity help to contribute to more 

equitable representation? 

Funding 

How equitably are artists funded, reimbursed and/or supported? 

Overview: Arts and Experiential Learning 

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Learning Objectives 

Arts and Experiential Learning projects can have one or more of the following objectives: 

Reinforcing 

Behaviors 

Raising 

Awareness 

Sharing 

Knowledge 

Creating a Sense 

of Place 

Connecting the 

Community 

Promoting 

Action 

Engaging 

Partners 

Optimizing 

Funding 

Overview: Arts and Experiential Learning 

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2 Getting Started 
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Getting Started 

The suggested steps and ideas in this section support initial 

collaboration and are intended to prompt further discussion 

and exploration. 

Early in the process to develop an arts or experiential learning 

project, FEMA, partners, and communities should work 

together to co-create goals and priorities. These initial 

discussions should include how a project could support an 

overall engagement strategy and lay the foundation to discuss 

specific arts or experiential learning approaches. 

Working together, FEMA and partners can advance arts and 

experiential learning projects on a local, regional and/or 

national scale. 

How to Get Started 

2 
Six Steps to Get Started 

How to Get Started 

IDENTIFY opportunities IDENTIFY potential REVIEW 1 2 to build resilience in 3 arts and experiential recommended resources 

your community learning partners 

COLLABORATIVELY ENGAGE and convene CO-CREATE goals and 4 potential partners 5 measures of success 6 DEVELOP project 

requirements 

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Step 1: Review Recommended Resources 

These FEMA resources provide a helpful foundation 

for initial discussions: 

The Guide to Expanding Mitigation explores how community officials 

can work with the arts and culture sector to support hazard 

mitigation, including the planning process. This guide is a starting 

place for community officials to initiate a conversation with arts and 

culture partners to make investments in mitigation and increase 

access to risk information. 

The Building Alliances for Equitable Resilience resource inspires 

readers with actions and considerations for equitable practices they 

can incorporate as part of their day-to-day activities. 

How to Get Started 

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Step 2: Identify Opportunities to Build Resilience in Your Community 

As a first step, FEMA and potential partners should assess the 

opportunities to build resilience in their community, such as raising 

awareness of specific hazards or highlighting successful mitigation 

activities. National and local resources that identify challenges and 

opportunities for resilience can be useful guides to understanding a 

community’s top needs and priorities. 

Social Listening, or analyzing community background through social 

media, can provide another lens into community needs. FEMA 

Region 8 found that a local community used “stormwater” to 

describe flooding. The distinction being this community did not feel 

they experienced “flooding,” but did experience water intrusion 

through “stormwater” issues. This knowledge allows partners to 

employ the right messages to engage their intended audience. 

Opportunities to build resilience come in many different forms. 

Engaging in neighborhood and community activities and 

conversations can provide inspiration for building resilience in your 

community. 

EXAMPLES OF RESILIENCE RESOURCES TO HELP 

IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES 

• Climate Action Plans 

• Resilience Plans 

• Hazard Mitigation Plans 

• Community Wildfire Protection Plans 

• Comprehensive Plans 

• Grants Applications 

How to Get Started 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 16 2 
 

Step 3: Identify Potential Partners 

Successful arts and experiential learning projects begin with 

identifying the right set of partners, including FEMA and local 

members of the community. Potential partners can represent diverse 

sectors such as community engagement, philanthropy, arts and 

culture, and more. Research and identify partners with relevant 

experience, shared goals, and capabilities. This will help identify the 

mutual value proposition for potential partners. It is also important to 

engage and collaborate with the local community early in the 

process. 

Discussions of potential partners should include those that work with 

underserved populations (low-income, non-English speakers, etc.). 

The Resilient Nation Partnership Network offers a platform to explore 

FEMA’s existing partnerships at the national, regional, state and 

community levels. 

POTENTIAL PARTNER EXAMPLES 

▪ Local arts districts 

▪ Artist-in-residence organizations 

▪ Museums 

▪ Relevant professional associations, including local 

chapters 

▪ Charitable foundations 

▪ Parks and recreation departments 

▪ Art and design institutions, colleges and 

universities 

▪ Transportation hubs 

▪ Local cultural events and venues 

▪ Youth groups and organizations 

▪ Nonprofit organizations 

How to Get Started 

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Step 4: Engage and Convene Potential Partners 

Talk to potential partners about involvement 

Convene introductory conversations with the most viable partner 

organizations. Explore ‘outside the box’ ideas and areas for 

alignment, such as using existing resources to maximize funding 

and capacity for project management. 

It is also helpful to discuss roles and responsibilities and 

potentially establish the framework for a formal agreement such 

as a memorandum of understanding. 

How to Get Started 

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Step 5: Co-Create Goals and Measures of Success 

Set Project Goals and Priorities 

It is important for everyone involved in a potential project to cocreate simple and clear project goals. Goals and priorities will help 

you consider additional partners who can work with you to 

strengthen and refine the vision. 

The process of co-creating goals can help increase buy-in from all 

participants. 

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER: 

▪ What overarching strategies or plans will this effort 

support? 

▪ What are the specific resilience, hazard mitigation, 

and/or risk awareness goals? 

▪ Are we driving awareness, action or activity? 

▪ What is the message we want to convey? 

▪ Who is our target audience? 

▪ What capabilities do we have for leading this 

project? What are any gaps? 

▪ What dependencies or outside factors might 

influence our capability to achieve success? 

▪ What are the roles and responsibilities among 

partners? 

How to Get Started 

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Step 5: Co-Create Goals and Measures of Success 

In addition, it is important to discuss how the 

project will measure success. 

Initial activities could include: 

• Decide on a goal for the project. 

• Set your intention (what are you trying to solve for, who is your 

target audience, and what do you want them to get out of this 

experience?) 

• Gain consensus on defining what is being measured. 

• Identify measures and indicators prior to the project kickoff. 

• Choose indicators that are neutral, not open for 

interpretation, and easy to check—and when possible, include 

indicators that measure equitable outcomes. 

WHEN YOU MEASURE, YOU SHOULD: 

▪ Consider how well the measurement will show the 

intended response resulting from the arts or 

experiential learning project. 

▪ Use mixed measurement methods that are both 

quantitative and qualitative. 

▪ Establish measurement indicators throughout the 

project from beginning to end. 

How to Get Started 

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Step 6: Collaboratively Develop Project Requirements 

Developing clear project requirements can make 

engagement smoother down the road. 

Partners should work together to develop project 

requirements that incorporate technical expertise and 

local knowledge, while resisting the urge to 

define specific arts or experiential learning concepts 

before engaging artists and community collaborators. This 

allows for greater creativity and innovation throughout the 

process. 

These requirements will provide a solid foundation for 

additional conversations and outreach to bring a project 

to fruition. 

EXAMPLE PROJECT REQUIREMENTS 

• Project goals, objectives 

• Equity and Inclusion 

• Location 

• Language requirements 

• Process for selection 

• Project Timeline 

• Project milestone requirements 

How to Get Started 

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Other Important Considerations 

The following is a partial list of other important considerations that should be discussed at the outset of a project: 

How to Get Started 

Funding 

Be clear on the funds you have, how they will be used, and 

who is responsible. 

Plan 

Determine how long the display will last as well as relocation, 

maintenance, removal, etc. 

Safety 

Consider the effects on foot/vehicle traffic, public safety and 

impacts to the surrounding environment. 

Bids 

Consider how to obtain bids for services the project requires. 

Censorship 

Discuss the project in detail to avoid censorship or freedom 

of speech conflicts. 

Local Laws/Ordinances 

Build in extra time to ensure compliance with local 

regulations. Permits, approvals and permissions may need to 

be obtained, and they vary by jurisdiction. 

Use and Ownership Rights 

Clearly delineate all rights for using images and digital 

content, and ownership of any physical or digital products. 

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3 Project Inspiration Library 
Inspiration Library Overview 

This Project Inspiration Library showcases examples of arts and experiential learning projects from around the 

world that relate to sustainability, resilience, climate adaptation and hazard mitigation. From murals to music to 

interactive experiences, these artists and organizations have been able to raise awareness, drive conversation, 

engage with new audiences, and more. 

Additional information on each project can be found at the link in each project description. 

Project Example Library 

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Holoscenes 

Lars Jan 

http://www.earlymorningopera.com/wp/projects/holoscenes 

This performance features a huge aquarium that fills with water and then 

empties again, while actors inside are trying to go about regular activities like 

reading a newspaper, putting away their groceries or getting ready for bed. 

Objective: Connect the short-term, everyday behaviors of individuals to the 

long-term patterns driving climate change. The performance manifests states 

of drowning — both in water and the larger systems of our own devising — 

challenging our capacity for long-term thinking and empathy. 

Location: Tours globally; Former sites include Times Square (NYC), Gold Coast 

Games (Australia), London Burning (England), Istanbul Modern Museum of 

Art and more. 

Project Example Library 

Created after Lars Jan witnessed the damage to 

communities and life from Hurricanes Katrina and 

Sandy and wanted to explore this disruption to our lives. 

Image Credit: Lars Jan/Holoscenes/Early Morning Opera 3 
 

26

Ice Watch 

Olafur Eliasson 

http://olafureliasson.net 

Previously staged in Copenhagen and Paris, Ice Watch is a public art and 

experiential learning installation in London that encourages people to think 

about icebergs and larger repercussions of a rapidly changing climate. Over 

100 tons of glacial ice were transported from the waters of Nuup Kangerlua 

fjord in Greenland. The ice had separated from large sheets and was melting in 

the ocean waters. 

Objective: To serve as a visual reminder of the impact of climate change on the 

environment, provoke urgent change and inspire ”...climate action to climate 

change.” An interactive way to give passersby a stronger, visual understanding 

of the impact of climate change and the melting of the polar ice caps and rising 

waters. 

Location: 2018, outside Tate Modern and Bloomberg's Headquarters in 

London, England. 

Project Example Library 

Image Credit: Charlie Forgham Bailey/Ice Watch/Olafur Eliasson and Minik Rosing 3 
Purple 

John Akomfrah 

http://icaboston.org/exhibitions/john-akomfrah-purple 

This immersive, hour-long video installation consists of a sixscreen video projection with surround sound in a darkened space. 

The installation addresses the impact of climate change on 

communities and the environment. 

Project Example Library 

Image Credit: ©Smoking Dogs Films; Courtesy Smoking Dogs Films and Lisson Gallery 

The ClimateMusic Project 

http://climatemusic.org 

The purpose of The ClimateMusic Project is to communicate a 

sense of urgency about the climate crisis by combining the 

emotional power of music with climate science to drive 

meaningful action. 

Through this Project, musicians, in collaboration with scientists, 

compose new science-guided music, hold performances and 

provide the opportunity for audiences to engage with scientists 

and other experts at those performances. 

 

 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 27 3 

Image Credit: Fran Schulberg/Climate Music/The Climate Music Project 
 

 

 

 

Project Example Library 

Image Credit: 

Ellie Johnston/World Climate Simulation/Climate Interactive 

World Climate Simulation 

Climate Interactive 

http://climateinteractive.org 

Materials for the World Climate Simulation at the 

Asheville Museum of Science in Asheville, NC. 

Students model a UN climate summit, with 

debates and negotiations. The proposed policies 

were evaluated for effects on temperature rise 

with a computer model, and the students playing 

government representatives worked out necessary 

tradeoffs to reach agreement. 

Image Credit: 

Emily Fano/Resilient Schools Consortium/The National Wildlife Federation 

Resilient Schools Consortium 

http://riscnyc.org 

RiSC is a climate and resilience education program that 

empowers middle and high school youth to help create 

more climate resilient communities. 

Through field trips, a project-based curriculum, and 

activities like tree planting and dune restoration, students 

gain climate science knowledge, explore climate justice, 

and learn about the natural and built solutions that help 

protect communities from climate impacts. Students also 

engage with community members and decision-makers at 

annual events. 

Image Credit: 

Matthew Kowal/The Art of Mass Gatherings/Majestic Collaborations 

The Art of Mass Gatherings 

https://theartofmassgatherings.com 

An arts-focused and experiential approach to 

resilience recognizes that people who plan 

festivals are experienced with what it takes to build 

a city for a few days; their experience can help 

communities plan for a disaster. 

This example is from the "Would You Trade Your 

Car For Bike?" audience participation skit at the 

Tour de Fat Festival. 

Produced in partnership with Majestic 

Collaborations and Performing Arts Readiness. 

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29

Washed Ashore 

Artula Institute for Arts and Environmental Education 

http://www.washedashore.org 

Founded by Artistic Director, Angela Haseltine Pozzi, Washed Ashore is a 

project of Artula Institute for Arts and Environmental Education’s nonprofit organization. 

The organization has created over 85 sculptures from over 30 tons of 

marine debris with over 14,000 volunteers helping since 2010. More 

than 35 million people have seen the sculptures in person. 

Objective: Build and exhibit aesthetically powerful art to educate a 

global audience about plastic pollution in the ocean and waterways and 

to spark positive changes in consumer habits. Create curriculum in 

collaboration with NOAA, volunteer workshops, traveling exhibits, 

presentations, field trips and beach clean ups to educate and inspire the 

public. 

Locations: Four traveling exhibits tour North America to zoos, aquariums, 

science centers, botanical gardens and museums. Home base is 

Bandon, Oregon. 

Project Example Library 

Image Credit: Angela Haseltine Pozzi/Washed Ashore/Artula Institute for Arts and Environmental Education 

3 
 

 

Earthquake Simulator 

https://vimeo.com/269825644 

Many companies are under-insured and under-prepared for natural 

disasters. An opportunity to educate companies was presented at a 

significant industry-wide event. FM Global simulated an immersive, 

augmented reality earthquake in the middle of the convention hall. 

Location: RIMS Conference 2018 

Project Example Library 

Image Credit: Courtesy of FM Global/Earthquake Simulator 

Animas by Brian House 

https://brianhouse.net/works/animas/ 

Created in 2017, this art installation, composed of four 

panels of metal, takes real-time data from water quality 

sensors in the polluted waters of the Animas River in 

southwestern Colorado and turns them into sound. Each 

panel vibrates at its own resonant frequency. 

Image Credit: Brian House/Animas 

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Project Example Library 

Image Credit: Courtesy of UCR ARTS/Facing Fire: Art, Wildfire, and the Image Credit: Matt Smith/Changing the Tune/Folk Alliance International 

End of Nature in the New West/ California Museum of Photography at 

UCR ARTS 

Facing Fire, Art, Wildfire,

and the End 

California Museum of Photography at UCR ARTS 

https://virtualucrarts.ucr.edu/facing-fire/ 

A curated collection of photojournalism and art 

photography by 16 photographers, this exhibit displays 

the wildfires that have plagued California in recent 

years and the consequences to local communities and 

the environment. 

Changing the Tune 

by Folk Alliance International 

http://folk.org/changing-the-tune 

This initiative focuses on resilience, and positioning artists to 

leaders to advance resilience before and after disasters. The 

organization considers how events set up for the music 

community can be a blueprint for how societies might respond 

to crises, being centered around practices of community care, 

solidarity, and mutual aid. 

Produced in partnership with Majestic Collaborations and 

Performing Arts Readiness. 

Image Credit: FEMA/Flood Stories/Pierce County, Washington 

Flood Stories 

Pierce County, Washington 

www.co.pierce.wa.us/6082/FloodStories 

Podcasts were created from a series of “Flood 

Stories,” to drive awareness of flooding. These 

stories are told by residents who experienced 

flooding or helped their neighbors recover from its 

devastating effects. 

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RISE Challenge 

Earth Force 

https://earthforce.org/rise-challenge 

The RISE Challenge is a partnership between FEMA, the Association of 

State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) and Earth Force. This experiential 

learning program is part classroom learning and part competition and 

summit, focused on natural hazards and student-led learning. 

The RISE Challenge engages students in the exploration of their 

communities to determine where they are vulnerable to natural disasters. 

It tasks them with developing their own ideas for making their community 

more resilient. The program develops engaged citizens by building their 

resilience toolbox when they are still young. 

Objectives: Improve community engagement in building resilience and 

improve student learning. 

Locations: As of 2021, programs are available statewide in Colorado, 

Montana and Illinois. 

Project Example Library 

Image Credit: Courtesy of Grace Edinger/RISE Challenge/Earth Force 

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33

Community Forms 

FEMA Region 8 | Black Cube Artist Fellow Matt Barton 

https://blackcube.art/exhibition/community-forms 

Community Forms is an outdoor, permanent sculptural installation. Ray Mark 

Rinaldi’s review in the Denver Post states, “It’s art but not art, a skatepark 

but not a skatepark. And, at the same time, it’s a drainage ditch that invites 

everyone to see their own personal place in the ecosystem.” The design 

redirects runoff rainwater or snowmelt toward the river. There is interpretive 

signage describing the history of flooding on the South Platte and how 

individuals can be better prepared for future floods. 

Community Forms is produced by Black Cube (Nomadic Art Museum), Chief 

Curator Cortney Lane Stell and artist Fellow Matt Barton. This is the pilot 

project for the FEMA Region 8 ArtWorks program, which shares the value of 

mitigation through art. RedLine Contemporary Art Center facilitated the 

process. Zeppelin Development and the David and Laura Merage Foundation 

provided financial support to Black Cube. 

Objective: Engage new audiences in the mitigation discussion by integrating 

play, art and mitigation awareness. 

Location: TAXI Campus, RiNo Art District, Denver, Colorado 

Project Example Library 

Image Credit: Matt Barton/Community Forms, 2021/Photo by Third Dune Productions. 

Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. 

3 
IMMERSED 

FEMA 

Guided by behavioral science principles, IMMERSED uses virtual reality 

technology to connect people on a more personal level to flood risks and 

ways to reduce them. The 5-minute IMMERSED experience engages users in 

flooding scenarios and provides hands-on learning from multiple 

perspectives. 

Location: FEMA has several IMMERSED kits that can be used at events 

across the country. 

Project Example Library 

Image Credit: IMMERSED/FEMA 

FloodWalk 

FEMA 

In June 2019, FEMA Region 8 launched an augmented reality experience that 

visualizes the risks from flooding and tells the story of mitigation actions 

Denver has taken to improve the areas where people live, work and play. 

The FloodWalk mobile app, which is centered in Denver’s Confluence Park, 

features six unique experiences that spotlight past flood scenarios, as well as 

current and planned mitigation activities. 

Location: The application is available on 

Google Play and Apple’s App Store. 

 

 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 34 3 

Image Credit: FloodWalk/FEMA 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Good of the Hive 

Matt Willey 

http://www.thegoodofthehive.com/ 

The Good of the Hive is both a global art project and organization 

based in an artist's personal commitment to hand-paint 50,000 

honeybees in murals around the world. Fifty thousand is the 

number of bees necessary for a healthy, thriving hive. This effort is 

focused on highlighting the importance of bees and other pollinators 

while creating a growing symbol of the power in human connection. 

Objectives: To ignite radical curiosity for planetary health issues through 

art and storytelling by placing visually compelling murals around the 

world--from rural locations to city centers. 

Locations: Over the past five years, 35 murals have been created with 

over 8,700 hand-painted bees and large-scale works that can be found 

at places like the Smithsonian’s National Zoo (Washington, D.C.), Dag 

Hammarskjold Plaza (New York City) and Burt’s Bees Global 

Headquarters (Durham, NC). 

Project Example Library 

Image Credit: Matt Willey/The Good of the Hive 

3 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

36

The Peo-ple Cried Mer-cy in the Storm 

Allison Janae Hamilton 

http://allisonjanaehamilton.com 

This monumental stack of tambourines is titled using lyrics from the 

song “Florida Storm,” a hymn written in 1928 in response to the Great 

Miami Hurricane of 1926. The song became popular in the South after 

more than 5,000 Black migrant workers were killed by the Okeechobee 

Hurricane of 1928 and buried in unmarked mass graves. 

The artist used tambourines as a symbol of celebration, war, storytelling 

and spirituality to invoke various ways that Southern Black communities 

have interfaced with storms both natural and human-caused. 

Objective: Contemplate how climate-related disasters can expose 

existing social inequities and how affected communities contend with 

this twofold devastation. 

Locations: Was on view at Storm King Art Center—a 500-acre outdoor 

museum in New York’s Hudson Valley. 

Image Credit: Courtesy of the artist and Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York and Aspen/Max Yawney/ 

©Allison Janae Hamilton. 

Project Example Library 

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37

The Building Alliances for Equitable 

Resilience – Audio Series 

https://www.fema.gov/business-industry/resilient-nationpartnership-network/resources 

To continue advancing conversations around equity and resilience, the 

RNPN produced the “Partner Voices” narratives featured in the “Building 

Alliances for Equitable Resilience” resource. The stories were authored 

from the perspectives of four diverse partners, with narration from Justin 

Knighten, FEMA director of External Affairs. 

These original anecdotes describe why resilience is uniquely important 

to the speakers, their livelihoods and communities. The stories highlight 

the need to act to create a more resilient future. 

Project Example Library 

Image Credit: Resilient Nation Partnership Network “Building Alliances for Equitable Resilience” Partner Voices 

Audio Series/FEMA 

Federal Emergency Management Agency 37 3 
Risk Management Directorate 

Communications Strategy Branch 

FEMA-RMD-Comms@fema.dhs.gov