Cornell University Library

Library archives connect with local history

September 9, 2024

In recent months, the City of Ithaca unveiled landmarks to commemorate nationally renowned trailblazers with ties to the local community. These included a historic marker …

Ithaca sculptures to honor women who drove social justice

August 8, 2024

Sculptures honoring a former ILR School faculty member who established social policies that affect millions of Americans and a woman who devoted her life to …

Beyond bars: The Cornell Prison Education Program and Cornell University Library

August 12, 2024

Cornell University Library and the Cornell Prison Education Program (CPEP) have a long history of collaboration. Now, they’re strengthening their partnership through the continuation of a pilot program …

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Ties that Bind

Quilting at the Clarke Africana Library

This two-part exhibit celebrates quilting in the African American community.

Mud Paintings

Sensing chemical and physical changes of microbial industry

This exhibition features art made with photosynthetic bacteria. This first painting, Winogradsky Rothko, appeared outside Mann Library in 2004. Winogradsky Rothko combines the work of a 19th century soil microbiologist -Sergei Winogradsky- with a 20th century colorfield painter -Mark Rothko. Since then, many pieces have been constructed to visualize the diverse liveliness of microbes in diverse ecosystems, ranging from pristine waterways to some of the most toxic superfund sites such as the Gowanus Canal in NYC. Of note, there is a new living painting (installed March 13, 2022) in the foyer of Mann Library. This project is made of mud from BeeBee Lake. The endogenous microbes will synthesize pigments and develop a transforming colorfield painting (March-September). This project connects back to my first 'mud painting' name Winogradsky Rothko (2004) also made from mud from BeeBe Lake. This time, the 2 vessel was made to reference two 19th century Japanese Landscape Paintings. One will have just Beebe Lake mud, the other will hold 10% biochar, a long-term carbon sequestration mechanism. Both frames will be outfitted with pH, eH and temperature sensors. As the outside visually changes, the chemical and physical characteristics will be logged here.

Cultivating Silence

NIkolai Vavilov and the Suppression of Science in the Modern Era

NIkolai Ivanovich Vavilov was one of the most brilliant geneticists of the 20th century - yet his life ended in a Soviet prison, jailed for his ideas.

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