The USC Upstate Library Display Committee is excited to announce our latest display themed around “Sparty Gras” for Homecoming 2024 at USC Upstate. With Mardi Gras coming up, the university decided this year’s homecoming theme should reflect both the carnival celebration and our campus mascot. Inspired by this theme, our committee wanted to portray our school spirit by highlighting material and decorations about Mardi Gras, while also including campus yearbooks to reflect the university’s history. Every item that is on display is available for checkout. In addition, this display will have a corresponding QR code for people to view a digital campus timeline exhibit for homecoming on their devices. A link to this digital timeline exhibit is also available at the end of this message. The archives and special collections created this digital timeline using their various materials and resources. We hope our patrons will appreciate these items on display and learn more about both Mardi Gras and the campus’s historical 57 years. The Display Committee is now in its second year, and we hope to keep the momentum going by creating more exciting displays and highlighting materials and sections of our library collection. http://tinyurl.com/USCUpstateTimeline
Now on view in the library is the artwork, "Conserve (Footprint)" (2024; acrylic and mixed media on canvas), by Jenny Bonner. Bonner is a painter, sculptor, installation artist, and lecturer in Visual Arts at USC Upstate.
The work is a highlight of the library's new exhibit on climate change, Real People, Real Climate, Real Changes. The large format work was commissioned by the exhibit's creators, the National Science Foundation's National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Center for Science Education. Bonner created the work especially for the exhibit.
Bonner explains that her work is based on her experiences living near and exploring wilderness areas in Spartanburg and beyond, such as the Cottonwood Trail in South Carolina and the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina. In the panel on the left, the work shows a stream covered in snow; the panel on the right shows the streambed after the snow has melted, revealing trash and debris underneath. Bonner states that the work "celebrates the gift of conservation, while carrying a reminder that we must strive to act as conservators all the time, showing our love for the world around us through gentle living and constant care for the future."
The artwork will be on view through February 28, 2024, and then will travel with the exhibit to its next destination.
New year, new view!
The USC Upstate Library is excited to announce the opening of a new exhibit: Real People, Real Climate, Real Changes. The exhibit has been developed by the National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Center for Science Education. The exhibit shares the science of climate change and how it impacts people's lives.
The exhibit is on view in the 1st floor cafe area from Monday, January 8, through Wednesday, February 28. The library is located at 150 Gramling Drive. USC Upstate is so far the only South Carolina stop for this important, informative exhibit.
In the exhibit, you'll learn how people are affected by climate change--from farmers to coastal residents to urban dwellers. You'll also learn about the people who are finding solutions to this global challenge.
The exhibit features interactive displays to help you explore how climate change is affecting different environments, learn about the impact of sea level rise, and discover ways to lower your carbon footprint.
At the end of the exhibit, you'll have an opportunity to share your "Climate Stories." You can write a message, draw a picture, or try another creative approach and share your insights and concerns with others.
In the coming weeks, working with others on campus and in the region, we hope to organize a climate change discussion, along with creating a guide to library resources on the environment, climate change, and sustainability.