The crochet coral reef project is the brain-child of Margaret Wertheim and Christine Wertheim at the Institute for Figuring. They started the project in 2005 as a way to bring awareness to the issues facing coral reefs around the world. Their project has been displayed around the word and is growing in size. I saw the reef displayed at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., in 2011 and was really impressed with the craftsmanship and influence of the display.
The traveling reef exhibit has now landed at the University of California Santa Cruz! In addition to the four month display here, the Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab will have a satellite reef by May. There are nearly forty satellite reefs around the world. These satellite reefs are citizen-science and art projects that bring people together to create a crocheted reef for their city.
The exhibit in Santa Cruz (details here) is smaller than the Smithsonian display, but still amazing. Some of the reefs are crocheted with yarn, while others are created exclusively from plastic bags and other pieces of plastic trash. These are a reminder of the challenges facing reefs around the world. I'll let the photos tell the rest of the story. If you live near Santa Cruz or are going to be traveling through the area, you should definitely check it out!
The traveling reef exhibit has now landed at the University of California Santa Cruz! In addition to the four month display here, the Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab will have a satellite reef by May. There are nearly forty satellite reefs around the world. These satellite reefs are citizen-science and art projects that bring people together to create a crocheted reef for their city.
The exhibit in Santa Cruz (details here) is smaller than the Smithsonian display, but still amazing. Some of the reefs are crocheted with yarn, while others are created exclusively from plastic bags and other pieces of plastic trash. These are a reminder of the challenges facing reefs around the world. I'll let the photos tell the rest of the story. If you live near Santa Cruz or are going to be traveling through the area, you should definitely check it out!
plastic bag and ziptie reef
close-up of the plastic coral
"After the revolution, who's going to pick up the garbage?"
~ Mierle Laderman Ukeles
I cannot wait to see the finished satellite reef at the Seymour Center!
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