A collaborative digital mural project to raise awareness about climate change challenges
In response to climate change challenges in New York’s Kettle Lakes region, this project team aims to raise awareness about flood risks and promote appreciation for the lakes’ value through public art. Co-led by the New York State Water Resources Institute (NYSWRI) and the Cortland-Onondaga Federation of Kettle Lakes Associations (COFOKLA), this project integrates research support from Cornell students to create a collaborative digital mural highlighting the lakes’ value and threats and their significance to the Onondaga Nation.
The mural, created by Brandon Lazore (Onondaga), will feature vignettes of community resilience and QR codes to access more information. Through participatory workshops, representatives from each lake will contribute to the artwork, ensuring inclusion of local initiatives and priorities. Once completed in 2025, the mural will be installed in public locations, with COFOKLA continuing to use it for outreach and engagement.
Four undergraduate students, who are serving as NYSWRI interns, will contribute to various aspects of the collaborative project over the summer. Their responsibilities include supporting the workshops and providing key insights to the artist; assisting the artist in understanding the ecological and socio-economic dynamics of the lakes through a research report; developing webpages on the topics depicted in the mural and assisting with the development of an outreach plan.
A collaborative digital mural project to raise awareness about climate change challenges
In response to climate change challenges in New York’s Kettle Lakes region, this project team aims to raise awareness about flood risks and promote appreciation for the lakes’ value through public art. Co-led by the New York State Water Resources Institute (NYSWRI) and the Cortland-Onondaga Federation of Kettle Lakes Associations (COFOKLA), this project integrates research support from Cornell students to create a collaborative digital mural highlighting the lakes’ value and threats and their significance to the Onondaga Nation.
The mural, created by Brandon Lazore (Onondaga), will feature vignettes of community resilience and QR codes to access more information. Through participatory workshops, representatives from each lake will contribute to the artwork, ensuring inclusion of local initiatives and priorities. Once completed in 2025, the mural will be installed in public locations, with COFOKLA continuing to use it for outreach and engagement.
Four undergraduate students, who are serving as NYSWRI interns, will contribute to various aspects of the collaborative project over the summer. Their responsibilities include supporting the workshops and providing key insights to the artist; assisting the artist in understanding the ecological and socio-economic dynamics of the lakes through a research report; developing webpages on the topics depicted in the mural and assisting with the development of an outreach plan.
- Rewa Phansalkar, NYS Water Resources Institute, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Kristen Hychka, NYS Water Resources Institute, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
- Community partner: Cortland-Onondaga Federation of Kettle Lakes Associations (COFOKLA)
Providing seed support for a wide range of community-engaged learning projects