“Tempestries” craftivism project brings awareness to climate change

The SUNY Geneseo community is continuing their dedication to sustainability awareness with the 2022-23 “Tempestry” project. The goal of the project is to create a blanket or tapestry with colors determined by the temperature of each day of the year. Once completed, the tapestry can be compared to other “tempestries” and will serve as a physical reminder of the continued effects of global warming and climate change. 

The program began last semester and was founded by Associate Professor of Biology Suann Yang along with Learning Coordinator for the Center of Digital Learning Amanda Schmidt and CIT Senior Instructional Support Specialist Alexis Clifton. The project is open to both students and faculty, and anyone is welcome to knit or crochet along with the group and create their own tempestry. 

For senior art history major Mareasa Giudici, the project was not only fun as a creative outlet, but a space for real activism. Giudici said that making something physical and personal to herself was an excellent way to showcase the effects of climate change and the importance of remembering to protect the planet. According to Giudici, the fact that the climate information was taken from the Geneseo campus made her think more about how climate change affects her life even here in Geneseo. 

“I learned how to knit in the club! So along with completing the project, I have gained a new craft skill,” they said. “We want to showcase the reality of climate change in a different lens and medium; a way that is personal to each person who created a part of the exhibition.”

All were welcomed to come to the project’s opening reception held in the Union Kinetic Gallery on Nov. 10, to get an introduction to the project as well as to meet those who they will be crafting alongside.

Tempestry projects have been performed at many other institutions, and it has its own website at tempestryproject.com where anyone interested can access all the climate data they need to make their own tempestry. The website reinforces the commitment to “Personal and collaborative fiber art, environmental awareness, and climate activism via data representation all rolled into a sprawling community of friends, artists, crafters, teachers, scientists, activists, nature lovers, and more.” The website also offers starter kits for low prices and blogs for those involved.

According to Giudici, the project all comes back to the idea of inspiring change: “I hope that it’ll be an effective project and give Geneseo a little bit of a reality check.” 

Climate change continues to be a pressing issue featured on the news, social media, and in projects and organizations like the Tempestry Project on campus. The SUNY Geneseo Sustainability website utilizes the United Nations’ sustainability definition of “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” and expands it to, “all three pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic, and social. Addressing one pillar at the expense of the other pillars will not lead to a sustainable future.” 

The Tempestry project continues this address, giving the campus a concrete way of creating a more artistic, aware, and sustainable campus and world.