The Fine Art of Being Green

For Holland Dieringer, “sustainability” is not just another pop culture buzzword. It’s a way of life.

“People have an idea of sustainability, and it’s a hot word right now,” says Dieringer (CFA’05), gallery coordinator for the Rubin-Frankel Gallery at BU’s Florence & Chafetz Hillel House, “but there are a lot of opportunities to make people aware of sustainability through arts and culture. One of the ideas was a call to artists to encourage them to use recycled materials, creating art that would inspire someone to think about sustainability.”

Those ideas will be brought to life today, March 18, throughout all four floors of Hillel House, in the free exhibition Sustain/Ability: A Celebration of Sustainability and Awareness.

Starting at 9 a.m., members of the BU community can drop off canned food and used clothing, sign up to donate bone marrow, and learn about recycling at BU. At 5 p.m., visitors are invited to stop in for classes with Rabbi Avi Heller, director of Jewish learning and education, focusing on kashruth, or Jewish dietary laws, as it pertains to environmental awareness.

Guests can also enjoy an organic dinner, featuring fruit donated by Boston Organics, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Artists for Humanitywill display sustainable furniture and artwork and provide informationon participating in its mission, which is to bridge economic, racial, andsocial divisions by providing underserved youth with the keys toself-sufficiency through paid employment in the arts.

Two gallery exhibitions will open at 6 p.m. The Fourth Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition, Sustainability, will be held on the second floor. On the fourth floor, there will be a reception for the photography exhibition Images of Israel, featuring work by BU students who traveled to Israel this past winter with the organization Taglit: Birthright Israel, with a focus on sustaining a sense of community. “A lot of people who go on Birthright are not religious and are thinking about how to connect to this part of their culture,” says Lauren Kaskey, BU Hillel’s program associate for Birthright Israel. “But they come back with a connection through photography, art, culture, or music.”

The reception features a wine tasting and dessert and a performance by an Israeli jazz trio. “What’s interesting about these events is that it’s a chance to let people know that the Hillel House is open to everyone,” says Kaskey.

“There are so many events and opportunities we do for building community in general, not just the Jewish community,” says Dieringer. “Bringing the BU campus together is something we try to do.”

Calendar of Sustainability Events, Wednesday, March 18
Florence & Chafetz Hillel House, 213 Bay State Rd.

Canned food/clothing drive
9 a.m., first floor

Bone marrow registration drive
9 a.m., first floor

Learning sessions
Taught by Rabbi Avi Heller, director of Jewish learning and education
15-minute classes every hour on the hour, 5 to 8 p.m.

Opening Party: Fourth Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition, Sustainability
6 to 9 p.m., Rubin-Frankel Gallery, second floor
DJ music provided by PHDJ
The exhibition will be up through June 27, 2009.

Artists for Humanity
6 to 9 p.m.
A display of sustainable furniture and student artwork.

Special dinner: A sustainable menu
5 to 7 p.m.
A menu of organic foods with a focus on supporting sustainable agriculture. Dinner is $12.60 (including tax); BU students can pay through their dining plan.

Images of Israel: Birthright Israel photography exhibition opening reception
6 to 9 p.m.
A celebration of Israel with a focus on sustainable Israel engagement. Chocolate fondue sponsored by the Hillel Student Board.

Kimberly Cornuelle can be reached at kcornuel@bu.edu.