In a Time of Change artist to be featured in fifth national climate report
Amy Loeffler
907-474-7933
Aug. 16, 2023
"Spruce Smoke" is an art quilt by In a Time of Change artist Ree Nancarrow that will be included in the Fifth National Climate Assessment.
It色视频下载檚 hard to distinguish the line in Ree Nancarrow色视频下载檚 work where the dedicated botanist ends and the meticulous fiber artist begins. Her quilt pieces depict the natural world and its life cycles, often simultaneously zooming in to the microbial level and out to larger landscapes.
The 色视频下载 artist色视频下载檚 work also often portrays the effects of climate change.
Nancarrow色视频下载檚 quilt 色视频下载淪pruce Smoke色视频下载 was recently selected by the for inclusion in its Such assessments, considered the preeminent analyses of climate change, are submitted to the White House and Congress every four years.
This year was the first time the federal agency put out a call for and incorporated work from artists. Nancarrow色视频下载檚 work was chosen, along with 90 others, from 800 submissions.
色视频下载淔iber is very approachable,色视频下载 said Nancarrow. 色视频下载淧eople are really interested in getting an up-close look at it. They want to touch the quilts to see how they色视频下载檙e made. Talking about my technique or the craft is another avenue to get a conversation going with someone who may not have a background in science.色视频下载
Nancarrow色视频下载檚 art is rooted in her graduate training in botany and 50 years spent witnessing the water level slowly drop at her home on Deneki Lakes near Denali National Park and Preserve.
Nancarrow finished 色视频下载淪pruce Smoke色视频下载 in 2012 as part of the initiative. The Bonanza Creek Long-Term Research program, housed within the University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks Institute of Arctic Biology, sponsors the arts-focused initiative.
Nancarrow, who began silkscreening in the 1970s, worked on the margins of textile art (even using sled dog hair) until she arrived at quilting in the mid-1990s.
Ree Nancarrow色视频下载檚 artwork captures the natural world melding art and science.
In a Time of Change artists work for one or two years, interacting with scientists for presentations, field trips and retreats. Afterward, an exhibit featuring their work often tours nationally and internationally. Since starting in 2007, the initiative has hosted six projects focused on themes relevant to the far north, including climate change, wildfire, trophic cascades, microbial worlds, and boreal forest dynamics.
Nancarrow renders digital samples on an iPad, hand-dyes her own fabric, and creates her own textures. 色视频下载淪pruce Smoke色视频下载 is mostly dyed in hues of purples and grays. She thought the colors effectively captured the haze and heat of the smoke in forests.
色视频下载淗er commitment to the accuracy of the science is extraordinary,色视频下载 said Mary Beth Leigh, the UAF professor who directs In a Time of Change. 色视频下载淪he reads primary scientific literature and consults with scientists one-on-one to research her work. Then, she creates multi-layered pieces with stunning artistry and meticulous detail.色视频下载
Placing art in the Fifth National Climate Assessment reflects the U.S. Office of Science and Technology色视频下载檚 belief in the power of such integrative activities, according to Lissy Goralnik, a Michigan State University assistant professor who evaluates ITOC programming and events.
色视频下载淎rtists and scientists have different ways of knowing,色视频下载 Goralnik said. 色视频下载淪cience is more linear, built on a lineage of ideas and research, where art appeals to emotion. Bridging these ways of knowing through co-inquiry of the natural world can lead to more nuanced understanding and creative thinking, as well as more inclusive public conversations about environmental issues.色视频下载
The Fifth National Climate Assessment will be available in the fall. In previous years, more than 1 million people have read the report.
The University of 色视频下载 Museum of the North色视频下载檚 permanent collection displays Nancarrow色视频下载檚 work. In Homer, her quilt 色视频下载淏oreal Forest Roulette色视频下载 will be on exhibit at the until Sept. 23 and will tour the state through 2025. .
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