Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud

 “I was raised with the philosophy of my ancestors that you take care of the Earth because she takes care of you.” – Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

I see my creative practice as a form of stewardship. My relationship to land, water, the environment, and to community is an act of care and reverence. Through my work I center new approaches to landscape art that include culture, diaspora, nature-based solutions, and reciprocity. I frame water/landscapes that draw on African American traditions – many of which have been forgotten. Within the African diaspora, nature has often has symbolic and cosmic meanings such as the use of holy water, the symbolism of the crossroads, the history of the north star and astronomy in the underground rail road, and the use of healing plants including sassafras, wax myrtle, sweetgum, and asafoetida.

As a native Houstonian, I am also inspired by what it means to be in the Gulf region and the richness of our ecology due to our proximity to water and the complexity of our region’s relation to extraction. I have participated in exhibitions and residencies throughout the Americas in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America. I have also led interdisciplinary community initiatives throughout the U.S. connecting arts, culture and the environment. Currently, I am Executive Director of Bayou City Waterkeeper, where I work on wetland protection and urban water management, promote watershed resiliency efforts that center equity and nature-based solutions, and I support community efforts to improve water quality in greater Houston.