More than 30 crafters from across campus and the community created “tempestries” to highlight the yearly temperature changes for significant dates in Colgate’s history for a Longyear Museum of Anthropology exhibition this past spring.
Tempestry: The Art of Climate Data featured crocheted and knitted tempestries of local climate data from 1913 to the present. The Colgate Tempestry Project was a year-long collaboration between Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Environmental Studies Program, the Residential Commons, University Museums, and the Center for Women’s Studies, as well as various other Colgate students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Professor of Geography Mike Loranty and Assistant Director of Sustainability Julia Sparks organized data collection for the project, using daily temperatures from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with additional data from Weather Underground and local weather stations.
In addition to the tempestries, the exhibition featured photos of crafters working on their projects as well as a “Climate Pledge Tempestry” where visitors could contribute to a tempestry made up of different yarn colors representing a personal commitment to various sustainable actions.
The Longyear Museum hosted an opening reception and arts networking hour on April 10 as part of Arts, Creativity, and Innovation Weekend on campus. The opening was also a part of Colgate’s annual celebration of 13 Days of Green, hosted by the Office of Sustainability.
The exhibition was part of a broader initiative developed by the Tempestry Project, founded by Asy Connelly and Emily McNeil, who visited campus for an environmental studies brown bag in September to kick off a version of the project at Colgate. They shared the history of the initiative and gave attendees a chance to view examples of finished tempestry pieces. Crafters from around campus and in the community began work on their individual tempestry projects last fall.
The project gave Senior Residential Fellow Marissa Bordonaro ’24 an opportunity to combine her love of crafting with her passion for climate awareness and sustainable practices. Bordonaro hosted workshops throughout the fall and early spring for students and others on campus to work on their projects. “One of the most fulfilling parts of crafting for me is the community I have been able to connect with,” Bordonaro says. “Sharing the practice and knowledge of crafting has a special kind of magic to it. Through the workshops, I was able to connect with, learn from, and even teach dozens of crafters, all working toward the common goal of turning data into artwork for climate awareness.”
Jessie Farrell ’24 says she believes art is a reflection of society and community, and can also help to shape both. “We can all look up climate data over the years, but it is different to spend hours knitting a tempestry, changing out colors each row, and watching the data unfold,” Farrell says. “Knowing my piece will hang alongside others, each made with the same care, reveals our shared connection to this place and our environment.”