Join members of the Women’s Collective from Lota, Chile, together with University of Illinois scholars, for a midday panel discussion exploring the Collective’s work, the history of coal mining in their community, and the role of arpilleras in preserving bilingual participation. Reception to follow. Presented in Spanish and English.
Supported by the Climate Jobs Institute, the Office for Arts Integration, the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, the Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity, and the Latin American and Caribbean Cities Collective. Krannert Art Museum acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
Life After Coal: Envisioning Just Transitions Across Borders
Transnational perspectives on post-industrial futures in the Americas
As coal declines globally, regions with coal mines and plants face urgent questions about economic survival, environmental remediation, and social justice. This panel, presented by the Climate Jobs Institute and Krannert Art Museum, brings together grassroots activists, community leaders, and engaged scholars from Illinois and Ohio in the U.S. and the Biobío region in Chile to explore how coal communities are shaping their own post-industrial futures. Centering lived experience, the discussion examines how cultural heritage, collective memory, and place-based knowledge serve as tools for economic renewal, political mobilization, and energy transition justice. The session also highlights the role of engaged research—collaborative, community-based scholarship that works alongside activists to document histories, strengthen organizing, and support locally defined development goals. Panelists include:
• Emily Guske, Climate Jobs Institute
• Todd Lee, Vermilion County community member
• Jordan Woodward, Humanities Research Institute fellow
• Elizabeth Aguilera, Chilean activist and President of Mesa Ciudadana de Lota
• Magdalena Novoa, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and Exhibition Curator
The panel will emphasize transnational solidarity and partnerships that bridge research and action to advance just transitions beyond coal.
Presented in conjunction with Memorias de la Mujer Lotina: Arpilleras, Women, and Coal in Chile, on view at Krannert Art Museum through Sep 5, 2026.
