Quilt Your Science 2021
What is your science journey: unlocking Earth’s secrets? exploring the heights of our atmosphere to the depths of our ocean? or teaching others about the wonders of our universe?
We invited quilters of all ages and skill levels to join us in December 2021 for a virtual celebration of quilts that celebrate the earth and space sciences. Individuals created a mini quilt or a square illustrating their work in and/or passion for earth and space science research, communication or education.
Enjoy the virtual museum display of the 2021 Quilt Your Science stories
Below is the virtual museum display of the 23 quilts submitted by 20 quilters. Click to view a higher resolution quilt display using the same virtual platform (Artsteps). The Quilt Show page has a Google Slides presentation of the quilts on display.
Gathering at AGU Fall Meeting
Four of the quilters were in attendance at the 2021 AGU Fall Meeting in New Orleans, LA, and brought their quilts with them! We also had a gathering of quilters and non-quilters in the poster hall and via Zoom to explore the submitted quilts and to hear from the quilters tell their quilt stories.
Project details (from 2021)
Your mini quilt must be between 12 inches by 12 inches to 24 inches to 24 inches on each side (it is OK if it is not a perfect square). Pieced, applique, patchwork, machine or hand-sewn - It’s up to you how you want to create your quilt! We encourage you to submit a quilt that you completed during calendar year 2021, but previously-completed quilts are fine to add to the display. Your quilt's connection to the theme of earth and space science can be as broadly or narrowly interpreted - it is your story to tell through your quilt.
Need some inspiration? Think of how you can use your quilt to tell a story.
Engage an audience at a visceral level. Connect online viewers to something familiar and comforting while moving them into a new awareness. Examples can be found at:
- Introduction to Quilting Science Stories
- Social Justice Sewing Academy
- Bisa Butler & Instagram
(Mini quilt pictured here is a braided half hexi that uses printed fabric to highlight climate solutions as part of Project Drawdown's efforts)
Join the community leading up to the opening of our virtual display
We have a Slack community of Science Quilters for scientists to quilt, and for those who quilt about science. We will support each other in the creative process providing tips and sharing inspiration. When posting on Twitter or Instagram, be sure to use the hashtag #SciQuilt21 so we can see and celebrate your progress.
Submission details
Quilters will submit one photo and a title and description of their quilt no later than November 15, 2021. View our submission page for the required information. Note that you can submit up to two earth/space science-themed quilts for the display.
Questions? Contact us!
We look forward to having you join us on this journey of celebrating how we can communicate the earth and space sciences through art, specifically quilts. Feel free to share the link to our website and download/share this PDF that contains the project details. Please email us if you have any questions: sciquilt21@gmail.com
Project organizers are Laura Guertin and Betsy Wilkening, two AGU members that met virtually during a Braindate at the 2020 AGU Fall Meeting.