“It seems like people want to do something.”
Temperatures are rising, the ice caps are melting, plastic is floating in the ocean, and forests are burning. Climate change impacts all of our lives. Regardless of who we are, where we come from, and how we exist within the world.
Inspired by winter carnivals, artist Tamsie Ringler mobilized her passion for art, community, and the environment and connected with Karin Wolf, Arts Program Administrator for the city of Madison, Wisconsin on October 1, 2020. Karin realized they shared a common interest in promoting art and artists, and activating cultural spaces towards positive change. She encouraged Tamsie to apply for a Madison Arts Commission grant to support the installation of a winter project on Lake Monona and suggested they collaborate on a winter art event. Tamsie proposed the idea of a winter carnival focused on climate change and global cooling – and Winter is Alive! came to life.
After initial funding was secured, Karin and Tamsie reached out to past and current colleagues to realize this event. The title Winter is Alive! a cooler world carnival, came from a discussion between Tamsie and former student and project curator Marc La Pointe who noted the important role of snow accumulation during winter for the environment. As information about the event was shared, collaborators representing Sustain Dane, Garver Feed Mill, the Madison School District, Clean Lakes Alliance, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Downtown Madison Inc., FeLion Studios, UnderBelly, Overture Center, ACRE residency, and many more groups and individuals came together to offer their support and insights. With the help of their collaboration and communities both near and far, Winter is Alive! transformed from a spark of an idea to a framework through which to activate and organize community dialogue surrounding climate change.
It is through the passion and commitment of Tamsie Ringler, Karin Wolf, Marc La Pointe, and the planning committee that Winter is Alive! a cooler world carnival has become an international arts carnival geared towards inciting global relationship, inspiring action to combat climate change, and instigating reflection to reconsider the human relationship to the environment. Winter is Alive! has brought together artists, thinkers, makers, and organizers from across the globe—it is now time to do something.