Summary
Dianna Cohen is an American visual artist and activist.[1] She is the CEO and co-founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, an advocacy group and social movement organization which seeks to reduce plastic pollution.[2][3]
Dianna Cohen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1965 Los Angeles, CA |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Occupation(s) | Activist and visual artist |
| Years active | 1989-present |
| Known for | Plastic Pollution Coalition (co-founder) |
| Website | diannacohen |
Early life and education edit
Cohen grew up in Los Angeles. Her father was a filmmaker, and her mother the director of the Los Angeles Free Clinic.[4] She attended UCLA, where she studied biology before shifting her major to art.[5]
Career edit
Following her graduation, Cohen began working in collage, initially using deconstructed brown paper bags, and later incorporating plastic. Her first solo exhibition of the bag series was in 1994.[5]
After eight years of working with plastic bags, Cohen realized the plastic was degrading. In a 2015 interview she said: “At first I got excited because I thought that it meant the plastic bags were ephemeral and organic like us, and that they had a finite lifespan.” In researching the subject, she discovered that "plastic photodegrades or heat-degrades by breaking apart, but does not disappear."[5] In 2009, after learning about the Great Pacific garbage patch, she founded the Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) with her sister, Julia Cohen, Manuel Maqueda, Daniella Russo and Lisa Boyle.[2][6] She has led the Plastic Pollution Coalition's efforts to eliminate the use of single-use containers for beer, water and other drinks at music festivals and concerts.[7]
Awards edit
Cohen has received awards for her environmental activism. She was named Environmentalist of the Year by SIMA in 2019.[8] In 2016, she was presented the inaugural Snow Angel Award by the Sun Valley Film Festival.[9]
Personal edit
Cohen and her partner, Jackson Browne, live in Los Angeles.[10] They were co-executive producers on the 2020 documentary The Story of Plastic. [11] She has surfed since 1996.[12]
References edit
- ^ Brown, Elisha (2017-10-13). "An Artist Whose Mentors Are Scientists". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
- ^ a b "Plastic is choking the planet: Here's how one activist cut her consumption to zero". NBC News. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
- ^ Kurutz, Steven (2019-02-16). "Life Without Plastic Is Possible. It's Just Very Hard. (Published 2019)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
- ^ Danquah, Meri Nana Ama (1998-05-10). "Not All Moms Have Kids". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
- ^ a b c "Dianna Cohen, CEO & Co-Founder of Plastic Pollution Coalition, Dreams of Plastic Free Touring". Planet Experts. 2015-03-06. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
- ^ Chollett, Giselle (2020-07-18). "18 Questions with the Founders of Plastic Pollution Coalition". Eco18. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
- ^ Greene, Andy (2014-11-17). "The Concert Industry's Slow Move Away From Plastic Bottles". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
- ^ Asch, Andrew (May 16, 2019). "SIMA Announces Waterman's Honorees". www.apparelnews.net. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
- ^ "Snow Angel Award". Sun Valley Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
- ^ David, Mark (2010-04-14). "Jackson Browne Buys Historic House in Los Angeles". Variety. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
- ^ "'The Story Of Plastic' Documentary To Premiere On Discovery Channel In Honor Of Earth Day". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
- ^ Carpenter, Susan (2006-04-13). "The fine art of surfboarding". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-12-16.
External links edit
- Dianna Cohen website Archived 2023-03-22 at the Wayback Machine