The Aftermath Sculpture was created by The Aftermath Learning Lab in 2021 and is now on a national tour.

The Aftermath Sculpture (2021) is a large-scale multi-media sculpture and art advocacy collaboration about the global impacts of textile pollution created by The Aftermath Learning Lab. It was designed by developmental psychologist Dr. Julia DeVoy, health researcher and artist Dielle Lundberg, fashion designer and environmental educator Matilda Lartey, internationally recognized artist Mark Cooper, STEAM education researcher Dr. Brian Smith, Make Fashion Clean (MFC Tie-Dye), and The MFI Foundation with support from the Boston College Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society. The installation consists of a modular shelving system, secondhand clothing collected from the Boston College community, protest signs that link through QR codes to the lab’s Textile Waste Facts educational resource (a crash course about global textile pollution designed to accompany the sculpture), and a project documentary. The goal: to face up to a global economy of throwaway consumption and “fast fashion” that contributes to global textile pollution, waste colonialism, environmental racism, and the climate crisis. The Aftermath team invites all who engage with the sculpture into a 5-point call to action.

The sculpture is currently on a national tour and has so far visited: Bridgewater State University, the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society at Boston College, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Boston University Charles River Campus, Boston University School of Public Health, The ACCelerate Festival at The Smithsonian Museum of American History, and The McMullen Museum at Boston College.

This video is a short film about The Aftermath Sculpture created in 2022 with the Schiller Institute at Boston College. It includes embedded captions.

Aftermath Sculpture’s 5-Point Call to Action:

Complete the 5-point call to action below by expanding each action category, and follow The Aftermath Learning Lab and our partners who share other ways to get involved over Instagram.

Action #1:
Complete Textile Waste Facts, a free course about global textile pollution, environmental justice, and structural solutions created by the Aftermath Learning Lab in partnership with Make Fashion Clean (MFC) and the MFI Foundation.
Start Textile Waste Facts (it takes on average 30-45 minutes to complete)!
Action #2:
Attend the LEAPS Textile Waste Conference, a virtual conference that exists to leverage environmental, art & policy stakeholders (LEAPS) and advance awareness, collaboration and transformation around policy and structural solutions to textile waste and related environmental health challenges. It is hosted by Aftermath Learning Lab in partnership with The Boston College Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, Make Fashion Clean (MFC), and The MFI Foundation. LEAPS 2024 is occurring on Thursday, April 25 and is free, with an optional donation.
Learn more about LEAPS, register now, and/or submit a presentation.
Action #3:
Sign the ReMake #NoNewClothes 90-Day Challenge and pledge to “buy no new clothes while we reflect on the values we want to wear; changes needed to create an inclusive, resilient fashion industry; and the role we can play moving forward.”
Take the pledge, or learn more about it.
Action #4:
Read the OR Foundation’s #StopWasteColonialism position paper, and endorse the paper to stand in solidarity with artisans and other members of the Kantamanto Market Community in Accra, Ghana.
Read the position paper, and endorse the paper / sign the petition to make Extended Producer Responsibility legislation globally accountable.
Action #5:
Donate to the MFC-MFI Textile Waste Upcycling Partnership to counteract the environmental and social impacts of textile waste sent from the Global North to Ghana, especially if you are someone who generates a large amount of textile waste.
Learn more about the upcycling initiative, how to donate, and other related causes to consider donating to if this one does not speak to you.

Follow @aftermathlearninglab on Instagram

Follow @makefashionclean on Instagram

Follow @mfifashionghana on Instagram

It's always great to find a new shirt on sale! But have you ever thought about the environmental impact of "Fast-Fashion?" Julia DeVoy, PH.D. joins @EricAlvarezTV on LX Explains to help us understand the impact of this trend. Watch LX Explains, weeknights. pic.twitter.com/1j3a4xdtvc
— LX News (@NBCLX) March 5, 2023

Who Created The Aftermath Sculpture?

The Aftermath Sculpture (2021) was created by developmental psychologist Dr. Julia DeVoy, health researcher and artist Dielle Lundberg at the University of Washington and Boston University, fashion designer and environmental educator Matilda Lartey at the MFI Foundation in Ghana, internationally recognized artist Mark Cooper, and STEAM education researcher Dr. Brian Smith at Boston College.

A number of Boston College students also contributed to the sculpture including Sophia Bartlett, Kate Canniff, Cecelia Cheng, Sofia Gillespie, Evelyn Kotch, Griffin Lawler, Jocelyn Liu, Lourdes Macaspac, Addison Metzger, and Sophia Riordan.

The project is a partnership between the Aftermath Learning Lab, Make Fashion Clean (MFC), and The MFI Foundation. It was funded through generous support from Boston College through the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society and the office of the Associate Vice Provost for Design and Innovation Strategies Sunand Bhattacharya.

Professor Mark Cooper — **This image** shows co-creator Mark Cooper.

Dr. Julia Devoy — **This image** shows co-creator Dr. Julia DeVoy.

**This image** shows co-creator Dr. Brian Smith.

This image shows co-creator Dielle Lundberg.

**This image** shows co-creator Matilda Lartey.

**This image** shows advisor Sunand Bhattacharya.

“Aftermath challenges its audience to reframe fashion and textile pollution as an issue of global public health and environmental justice that can only be solved through sustained, transdisciplinary and collective efforts to achieve real political and applied action changes.”

Read the Full Essay

March to June 2024 Exhibition

Bridgewater State University

March to April 2024 Exhibition

Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society at Boston College

A miniature exhibition of The Aftermath Sculpture that was launched for the event “COP28: Debrief About the 2023 United Nations Climate Conference”. Download a presentation providing highlights from the Boston College COP28 delegation.

**This image** shows a miniature version of the Aftermath Sculpture from a front-view on display at the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society at Boston College.

**This image** shows a t-shirt-shaped sign within the Aftermath Sculpture from a side-view on display at the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society at Boston College. The sign lists the sculpture collaborators.

**This image** shows a miniature version of the Aftermath Sculpture from a side-view on display at the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society at Boston College.

**This image** shows poster providing information about the Aftermath Sculpture during its exhibition at the Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society at Boston College. The sign describes the formation, purpose, and goals of the sculpture.

January to March 2024 Exhibition

St. Mary's College of Maryland

Boyden Gallery and Fine Art Collection, Montgomery Hall

Sideview of The Aftermath Sculpture — **This image** shows the Aftermath Sculpture from a side-view on display at a gallery at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

**This image** shows the Aftermath Sculpture from a front-view on display at a gallery at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, providing a full picture of the sculpture which fills a room.

Aftermath Sculpture on Display at St. Mary's College of Maryland — **This image** shows the Aftermath Sculpture from a zoomed in front-view on display at a gallery at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

November to December 2022 Exhibition

Boston University Charles River Campus:

View the exhibition profile on the Boston University Arts Initiative Website. We are grateful to the Boston University Arts Initiative for their funding that made this exhibition possible.

Aftermath At Boston University — **This image** is a heads-on view of The Aftermath Sculpture exhibition at Boston University Charles River Campus.

Aftermath Sculpture Assembly — **This image** shows two research assistants from the Aftermath Learning Lab assisting with setting-up The Aftermath Sculpture exhibition at Boston University Charles River Campus.

Aftermath Sculpture Boston University — **This image** is a side view of The Aftermath Sculpture exhibition at Boston University Charles River Campus.

October 2022 Exhibition

Boston University School of Public Health:

View the exhibition profile on The Boston University School of Public Health website, read coverage of the exhibition by The Heights at Boston College, and read an essay co-written by two of the sculpture’s co-creators about its mission and impact. We are grateful to The Boston University Arts Initiative for their support that made this exhibition possible.

Aftermath Organizers at Boston University — **This image** is a photo of organizers for a panel discussion about The Aftermath Sculpture at Boston University School of Public Health with co-creators Mark Cooper and Julia DeVoy and advisor Sunand Bhattacharya.

Aftermath at BU School of Public Health — **This image** is a sideview of The Aftermath Sculpture exhibition in the Talbot Building at Boston University School of Public Health.

Aftermath Social Media Post — **This image** is a photo of a social media post from Boston University School of Public Health sharing about The Aftermath Sculpture. View the full post on Instagram.

April 2022 Exhibition

ACCelerate Festival at The Smithsonian Museum of American History:

The ACCelerate Creativity + Innovation Festival is a “celebration of creative exploration and innovative research happening at the intersection of science, engineering, arts, and design from across the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Smithsonian Institution. ACCelerate is programmed by Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology and the Smithsonian Institution’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Hosted at the National Museum of American History, the multi-day festival is free and open to the public.” The Aftermath Sculpture was exhibited as part of the 2022 festival.

View media coverage of the exhibition by NBC LX News, and read coverage of the exhibition by Boston University School of Public Health. We are grateful to The Boston College Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society for their support to make this exhibition possible.

Aftermath Sculpture at Smithsonian — **This image** is a heads-on view of the top of The Aftermath Sculpture at the Smithsonian Museum of American History as part of the ACCelerate Festival.

Aftermath at ACCelerate Festival — **This image** shows an Aftermath Learning Lab research assistant speaking to an ACCelerate Festival attendee about the sculpture.

Aftermath Sculpture Side — **This image** is a sideview of The Aftermath Sculpture at the Smithsonian Museum of American History as part of the ACCelerate Festival.

Landfill Simulating Reactor — **This image** shows the landfill simulating reactor as part of The Aftermath Sculpture at the Smithsonian Museum of American History as part of the ACCelerate Festival.

Aftermath Sculpture Full — **This image** is a heads-on view of The Aftermath Sculpture exhibition at the Smithsonian Museum of American History as part of the ACCelerate Festival.

Top of Aftermath Sculpture — **This image** is a view of the top of The Aftermath Sculpture at the Smithsonian Museum of American History as part of the ACCelerate Festival.

Aftermath Sculpture Conversation — **This image** shows a member of the Aftermath Learning Lab contingent attending the festival speaking to an ACCelerate Festival attendee about the sculpture.

Aftermath Team at Accelerate — **This image** shows members of the Aftermath Learning Lab team at the Smithsonian Museum of American History as part of the ACCelerate Festival.

January to March 2022 Exhibition

The McMullen Museum at Boston College:

View the exhibition profile on The McMullen Museum at Boston College’s website, and read coverage of the exhibition by The Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. We are grateful to The Boston College Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society for their support that made this exhibition possible.

Aftermath at McMullen Museum — **This image** is a heads-on view of The Aftermath Sculpture exhibition at the Boston College McMullen Museum.

Can The Aftermath Sculpture Visit My Community?

Installation Details:

The Aftermath Sculpture is a multi-media installation consisting of wood sculpture, secondhand textiles gathered at Boston College, integrated advocacy signs and QR codes that link to the Textile Waste Facts educational resource, and a landfill simulating reactor prototype that the lab designed as a tool to study the environmental health effects of textile waste.

Arranging an Exhibition:

The Aftermath Sculpture is looking for universities, libraries, and community centers to host the exhibit over in 2024 through 2026. Contact the lab to discuss collaboration.

Sculpture Dimensions:

The sculpture is made up of 1 central tower (4 feet wide x 4 feet deep x 7 feet tall) and 2 smaller towers (4 feet wide x 4 feet deep x 5.5 feet tall). The sculpture can be configured to fit diverse spaces but is typically installed in a space at least 20 feet wide x 10 feet deep x 10 feet tall

This video shows a panel discussion between Matilda Lartey, Founder and Director of The MFI Foundation, and Stacey Johnson, Make Fashion Clean (MFC) board member, moderated by Dielle Lundberg, Aftermath Learning Lab project manager, to discuss global textile pollution. The video includes embedded captions.