A new Longyear Museum of Anthropology exhibit displays the work of more than 30 crafters from across campus and the community who have created “tempestries” to highlight the yearly temperature changes for significant dates in Colgate’s history.
Tempestry: The Art of Climate Data features crocheted and knitted tempestries of local climate data from 1913 to the present. The Colgate Tempestry Project is 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 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 exhibit features photos of crafters working on their projects as well as a “Climate Pledge Tempestry” where visitors can 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.
Rebecca Mendelsohn, co-director of University Museums and curator of the Longyear Museum, said the project and exhibition have been a great representation of what the arts, creativity, and innovation concept can be when collaborators from different corners of campus assemble their skills and creative energies toward a common goal.
“I am so thrilled to have the Longyear used as a space for community engagement, and I am so grateful to the many collaborators — on campus and off — who allowed this exhibition to come to fruition,” Mendelsohn said.
The exhibition is 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 Tempestry 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 this fall.
Director of the Residential Commons Program Abby Palko, who was one of several participants who learned crochet for the project, said she loved how the Tempestry Project brought people together from all across Colgate to build community and encourage lifelong learning.
“I wasn't fully prepared for how powerful it would be to see everyone’s panel hanging side-by-side, each a part of the whole that is Colgate,” Palko said.
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, and help with crochet instruction for newer crafters.
“One of the most fulfilling parts of crafting for me is the community I have been able to connect with,” Bordonaro said. “Sharing the practice and knowledge of crafting has a special kind of magic to it. Through the crochet workshops hosted by the Residential Commons throughout the academic year, 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.”
Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Carolyn Strobel-Larsen, who helped introduce the Tempestry Project at Colgate, said she first learned about it at a symposium on entrepreneurship and the liberal arts.
“I knew immediately that I wanted to bring it to Colgate,” Strobel-Larsen said. “Seeing the enthusiastic embrace of the project by other offices and departments has been so rewarding.”
Jessie Farrell ’24, one of several alumni participants, said 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 said. “Knowing my piece will hang alongside others, each made with the same care, reveals our shared connection to this place and our environment.”
Tempestry: The Art of Climate Data is open through May 17 with special hours for commencement and reunion weekends, then by appointment weekdays through June 30, 2026.