ARTPORT_making waves started as a curatorial collective at the intersection of art, climate change and sustainability in New York, Valencia, Spain in 2006 to draw attention to the causes, consequences, and possible solutions to climate change through themed exhibitions, film productions, workshops, conferences and educational programs.

Today we are a network of international curators and collaborators in different parts of the world and connect interdisciplinary projects through the arts to science and sustainable development. Artists and curators are our protagonists, but scientists and policymakers have become important stakeholders in our work because our final goal has shifted from mere awareness-raising to contributing to real change.

We started with sensitization and are today strong advocates for solutions. These solutions can only be pushed through following different agendas. Our focus on collaborating with scientific institutions, supranational organisations, museums, educational entities, international conferences, governments and private foundations is helping us to diversify these agendas and to contribute to a society which takes sustainable and ecological development seriously.

Environmentally sustainable projects: We radically reduced CO2 emissions by delivering projects which avoid shipping of huge artworks, by reducing the team’s traveling and by working mainly with the local community and local artists. We always kept our carbon footprint low in the section of printing materials.

Education and Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development

Through all our projects we empower young people in numerous countries, introducing them to specific environmental topics through the visual arts and integrating them actively in the learning process. These projects and their outcomes and last but not least the impact are serving the higher purpose of lifelong learning since the educational entities are invited to use the generated content and collective art works (which were produced in the framework of those projects) infinitely and freely.

Gender Equality

We always commission artists worldwide by respecting the gender balance. We make a strong focus on women to give female artists, curators, experts and leaders the support needed and sustain the work of female community leaders.

Supporting indigenous communities and traditional knowledge

ARTPORT_making waves was since its beginning a decided advocate of indigenous rights and knowledge. We particularly support the work of indigenous artists worldwide, the work of indigenous groups and the research about indigenous traditional knowledge with the goal of contributing to the construction of stronger biodiversity conservation in line with UNESCO’s values: 

Supporting ocean conservation, reforestation, climate action and education:

ARTPORT_making waves regularly donates to local non profits which are engaged with solutions in the respective field, either in their local community or worldwide.

Fundamental to all ARTPORT_making waves projects are certain values:

• Nurturing strong, self-reliant individuals with expanded capacity for accomplishment;

• Learning how people can create a sense of community, whether at the neighborhood level or as a global society;

• Building strong communities through collaboration to provide a basis for positive change;

• Encouraging responsible citizen participation to help foster social cohesion;

• Promoting the social, economic and political empowerment of all individuals and communities to preserve fundamental democratic principles and rights;

• Developing leadership to build upon the needs and values of people and to inspire the aspirations and potential of others; and

• Respecting the diversity of life to maintain a sustainable human and physical environment.

Respect for the communities we work with and serve.
Integrity in our actions.
Responsibility for our decisions and their consequences.

We are committed to:

• Acting honestly, truthfully and with integrity in all our projects;

• Avoiding conflicts of interest;

• Appropriately handling actual or apparent conflicts of interest in our relationships;

• Treating our artists, curators and collaborators fairly: As one of the few non-profits and entities, in general, we have been paying our commissioned artists and curators an appropriate honorarium and production costs for the commissioned work from the beginning of “ARTPORT_making waves”, whenever a project budget was raised and we were able to pay. We always insist with sponsors and donors, as well as collaborating organisations that a fair fee has to be paid to artists and curators. Sometimes we have to fight to make this happen.

• Treating every individual with dignity and respect;

• Treating our team members with respect, fairness and good faith and providing conditions of revenue that safeguard their rights and welfare;

• Acting responsibly toward the communities in which we work and for the benefit of the communities that we serve;

• Being responsible, transparent and accountable for all of our actions; and

• Improving the accountability, transparency, ethical conduct and effectiveness of the nonprofit field.

• Responsible stewardship: We are committed to careful stewardship of all human, natural, and financial resources. We use carefully the time and talents of those working with us, are environmentally responsible, and spend wisely the funds invested in us.

• Sustainability: We believe it is important to recognize the value of nonprofits’ work by investing in their organizations and their people. This includes providing learning opportunities for all team members.