Today we’d like to introduce you to Leonardo Martinez-Diaz.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
For almost two decades, I worked in government and non-profits to advance climate action. Over time, I came to understand that the arts have an important role to play in helping change attitudes, imagine alternative futures, and lift up those who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and environmental injustice.
With that in mind, in 2024, we launched the Crow’s Nest, an art incubator dedicated to climate change and environmental justice. The Crow’s Nest is based in Baltimore, a city where experimentation is still possible and where there is a dynamic arts community, a history of social and environmental advocacy, and world-class cultural institutions. The Crow’s Nest offers affordable art studio space for rent, gallery space for exhibits and events, and communal spaces designed to encourage cross-collaboration, dialogue, and innovation. We hope that the Crow’s Nest will become Baltimore’s main hub at the intersection of art and environment.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As with any project involving the renovation of a 19th-century building, there are always complications, and things always take more time and money than anticipated. Yet, with the support of our advisory group and the local arts community, we are getting this project off the ground.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an author, most recently of the book Building a Resilient Tomorrow: How to Prepare for the Coming Climate Disruption (Oxford University Press, 2019 and 2022). I have also served as a public servant for over a decade in the federal government, and have worked in the non-profit sector. Addressing the climate emergency has been my primary focus in the last fifteen years. I am also an amateur photographer.
How do you define success?
Empowering others to drive positive social change on a meaningful scale
Pricing:
- See our website for rental prices of art studio spaces
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.crowsnestbaltimore.com/
- Instagram: @crows.nest.baltimore
