Scottsdale Hosts World-Renowned Crochet Coral Reef

Just because we are in the desert and landlocked between states doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy and help preserve the artistic beauty of the ocean floor. Opening to the public last Saturday, April 11, the internationally-acclaimed 2,000 sq.-ft. hand-crocheted installation — the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project, which received worldwide attention from previous exhibitions in New York, Chicago, London, and Los Angeles, is now on display in our very own Scottsdale Civic Center Library.

crochet-coral-reef-project

About the Reef
The Scottsdale Public Art Program can be thanked for bringing the Institute for Figuring’s (IFF) magnificent work of art to the Valley from now until July 11. The coral reef piece consists of hundreds of individual, brightly colored crochet works, woven together to create a replica of the living coral reefs found in the world’s oceans. The simple crochet technique that creates hyperbolic curves mimics the growth of many marine life forms.

Get Involved
As part of a much larger effort to create awareness of the threats posed to these amazing underwater gardens, Scottsdale Public Art invites the public to collaborate on its very own “Scottsdale Reef,” which will be on display next to the original. Leading up to its arrival, Scottsdale Public Art hosted free workshops to teach the art of creating the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, so those who are interested in the collaboration of the “Scottsdale Reef” can contribute and become a part of this important cause and creation.

The Cause
More than just eye-candy, the reef project strives to raise awareness of the connection between global warming, the environmental choices we make every day and the gradual disappearance of these beautiful underwater gardens.  To show the effects of plastic waste in the ocean, the Institute For Figuring created a “Toxic Reef,” which uses crocheted plastic and yarn.

Learn More
On Saturday, April 25 at 4 p.m., Greg Peterson will give an educational lecture entitled “Living Green… Just What Does It Mean?” in the Library Auditorium. Peterson, of “Your Guide to Green” will teach listeners how easy it really is to go green. Peterson is a regionally acclaimed green living and_sustainability innovator with a mission to “inspire people to embrace their_own greenness.”

For more information on the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project please visit www.scottsdalecoralreef.com or www.scottsdalepublicart.org.

See for Yourself
Scottsdale Civic Center Library 
3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
480.312.2476 

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5 comments
  1. This was really fun to see! At the library and caught this on the fly. Take the kids and hang a while at the library!

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