For two weeks, waves won’t represent a gateway into an open sea, instead, on Meriam Library’s windows it’ll represent a charge toward sustainability efforts and the promotion of this year’s Book in Common, “California Against the Sea.”
The art installation, called “Meriam Library Against the Sea,” portrays rising sea levels by layering colored cardstock. It is the latest project from the student-led, sustainability group on campus called Green Campus.
Green Campus has several projects across campus. Some of those projects include, cleaning and maintaining Big Chico Creek, zero-waste, consolidating evening classes and making campus more bikeable.
But the latest project of creating an art installation is something that Green Campus Coordinator Truman Smith says is something that the organization hasn’t done before. Later saying that’s what he thinks makes this project so special.
“It’s a great opportunity to promote the Book in Common while promoting sustainability efforts and keeping students thinking about climate resilience,” Smith said.
“You may have noticed that Green Campus is making waves again, this time in the library windows,” said Mark Stemen, advisor for Green Campus.
After working for a week to get the measurements and materials ready, coordinator Jade Meza and her team began taping waves to the windows on Monday and Tuesday.
“It was very fun as well as students were curious about what we were doing,” Meza said.
Stemen reached out to Librarian Michelle Mussuto, who’s on the Book in Common selection committee and focuses on sustainability at the library. She said that from idea to installation the process took about two weeks.
Book in Common is an annual community read that ends with a lecture from the book’s author. Each year a book is selected by a committee. Part of the reason the book was selected was due to the growing demand from students to make sustainability one of the highest priorities.
Published in 2023, “California Against the Sea: Visions for Our Vanishing Coastline” is a book by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Rosanna Xia.
Coordinator for the Book in Common series Kristin Mahlis said “With climate change and sea level rise accelerating, the book asks the question of how we can work with nature to restore and preserve the coast and to adapt to these inevitable changes in a dynamic coastline.”
To her, the installation at the library isn’t only about the sea, but the interconnectedness of the rivers and streams that flow into the sea, shaping the inland landscape also.
Xia’s lecture will occur at Laxson Auditorium on April 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased from the University Box Office for $27. But, students can get tickets for free in Meriam Library by bringing their Wildcat ID.
“I’m hoping students find it brings more color and life to the library,” Meza said. “Even if they haven’t heard about Green Campus, I’m hoping it gives people interest to read the book: ‘California Against the Sea.’”
Chris Hutton can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].
