The Women Environmental Artists Directory (WEAD) focuses on promoting environmental and Social justice art. WEAD was founded in 1996 by Jo Hanson, Susan Leibovitz Steinman and Estelle Akamine.
WEAD has been listed among the best projects relating to Environmental art, and has sponsored a number of exhibits about activist eco art.
One of the co-founders, Ms. Steinman, is considered a leader in the eco art field and has participated in roundtables and artists in residences programs, and is listed in the sculptor directory of the International Sculpture Center. Another co-founder, Jo Hanson, was instrumental in founding an EPA Artist in Residence Program, which was aimed at educating the public about recycling. Another of the WEAD co-founders, Estelle Akamine, was also one of the artists in residence. Ms. Akamine's work has also been featured at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art museum store and has lectured at a textile lecture series. All three co-founders were featured in a discussion about women artists of the American West whose art was about current social concerns.
The directory lists a wide variety of Woman artists, such as Marina DeBris, a trashion artist, Betty Beaumont, often called a pioneer of environmental art, and Shai Zakai.
WEAD also published a magazine, which focuses on such topics as dirty water, and the legacy of atomic energy. A recent guest editor was Dr. Elizabeth Dougherty, founder of Wholly H2O, and speaker at events such as Pacific Gas and Electric Company conference on Water conservation and Toulumne County's conference on greywater. Linda Weintraub was a contributor to a recent issue of the WEAD magazine. Ms. Weintraub is the author of well known books on art and activism such as "To Life!" and is an eco art activist.