Taylor Austin ’24 meets Sigourney Weaver, donates art to College
Last October, film studies grad Taylor Austin ’24, of Milford, New Hampshire, attended Out of the Mist, a fundraiser at The Explorers Club in New York City. Hosted by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, it celebrated the 40th anniversary of Fossey’s book, Gorillas in the Mist, and the 35th anniversary of the film adaptation starring Sigourney Weaver as Fossey, a primatologist and conservationist who was tragically murdered in Rwanda in 1985 after nearly 20 years studying gorillas and seeking to protect them from poachers.
Austin, who describes herself as passionate about sustainability and conservation, supports the Fund’s goals of protecting the critically endangered Grauer’s gorillas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the endangered mountain gorillas in the Virunga mountains of Rwanda. She also wanted to meet Weaver. The film star’s recent work, which Austin characterized as “empowering, subversive and resistant to the stereotypes surrounding older women in film,” inspired her senior thesis, “Aging on the Margins: The Older Woman as a Queer^ Subject.”
Austin said, “I really wanted to be able to thank her for everything that she’s done for me both personally and academically, helping me find my passions through her films and activist work. I think she commits to activism and advocacy in every role. She’s very outspoken about feminism, social justice, and the environment.”
Austin realized her goal—she enjoyed a conversation with the “very kind” actor, who is the honorary chair of the Fossey Fund. However, she left New York with more than just a wonderful memory. She secured a gift for Conn: a large display of wall baskets woven by a group of female Rwandan artisans. The goods were recently delivered to Conn and will be hung in Unity House.
Austin and her father, Scott, won the art, a donation to the fundraiser from Azizi Life, in a silent auction. The fair-trade organization has an ongoing relationship with the Fossey Fund and partners with skilled artisans in Rwanda to bring their work to the world. The Austins donated the 12.5’ x 6.5’ display to be part of Conn’s Campus Art Collection. Azizi Life estimates that about seven months of handcraft work went into the piece, featuring several original designs and seven bowls inspired by the unique nose-prints of a few of the area’s famous gorillas.
Austin explained she donated the baskets to Conn to raise awareness of the Fund’s message and share the beautiful art with as many people as possible. She said, “I found this art through film, in a sense, and I was thinking about how art can spread messages, sometimes in nontraditional ways.”
“My father and I thought that it really aligned well with the intertwined nature of activism and advocacy that is so integral to Conn’s community,” the recent grad added. “I often notice that conservation efforts are kept very separate from activism efforts rooted in community and social justice, particularly regarding equitable access to food, water, and other essential resources, but the approach at Conn is very integrated. You see that with the Fossey Fund and Azizi Life, too. This art benefits the environment as well as the surrounding Rwandan communities that provide critical support to the Fund’s mission. This perfectly reflects the expansive spirit of activism at Conn.”
Conn was as enthusiastic about receiving the gift as Austin was about donating it. “Many of the pieces in our Campus Art Collection are traditional works of art rather than contemporary ones made within the last year, so this is exciting,” Laura Becker, director of gift planning, noted. “We decided it would fit nicely in the PepsiCo room at Unity House, a meaningful gift for Unity House in honor of their 50th anniversary.”
Chris Campbell, Conn’s director of race and ethnicity programs, elaborated, “When Unity House was given the chance to display this artwork in our community space, we jumped at the opportunity. The efforts of the Fossey Fund and Azizi Life need to be recognized, and I hope this display can help highlight the great work they are doing.” He praised DEI Program Coordinator Dulmarie Irizarry for helping “bring this amazing display to our campus.”
Austin described Out of the Mist as a fully immersive event that inspired a strong admiration for the daily work done by Fossey Fund staff. Along with protecting and researching gorillas, they train conservationists and help communities. “It was very inspiring to see how dedicated everyone is to the work,” Austin said.
Beth Warner, chief philanthropy officer of the Fossey Fund, points to their successes as evidence of the Fund’s effective commitment. While Fossey once predicted mountain gorillas would be extinct by the year 2000 and the population dropped as low as 250, there are now over 1,000 of the animals on Earth. Warner said, “The fact that we have been able to bring them back from the brink of extinction is a huge conservation success story. But it is a fragile one, so it is critical for us to continue our daily work and create the next generation of conservationists.”
Fossey Fund Board Chair Kristen Lukas works with primates at the Cleveland Metro Park Zoo and moderated a panel discussion at the event with Weaver, CEO Dr. Tara Stoinski, and Gorilla Program Senior Advisor Veronica Vecellio. “It was quite a foursome of female leaders on the stage last fall,” Warner noted, “and I can see why Taylor would have been inspired.”
