Kellie Bornhoft: By a Thread

By a Thread celebrates the species of the Great Salt Lake’s vibrant ecosystem. After consulting with scientists from the Great Salt Lake Institute and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Bornhoft constructed a list of species to include that are endemic to or dependent on the lake. Bornhoft illustrated each of the 64 species and printed them on unhemmed and transparent fabric. Their ghostly presence shows their interconnected dependence. The shadow of the one before allows the next to be seen. The unhemmed fabric leaves them vulnerable to unraveling. The illustrations are freely available as an open resource to help assist educators, researchers, and activists.

Viewers are invited to gently sift through and touch the banners. An attached guide can assist in identifying species throughout the installation. The photographs referenced for the illustrations are sourced from the Creative Commons, often taken by local citizen scientists. The guide credits the source image photographers with gratitude. The Great Salt Lake is in the unceded territory of the Ute, Paiute, Goshute, and Shoshone tribes—who have sustainably lived with the lake for thousands of years. The lake’s ecosytem is in threat of collapse due to diverted water from the rivers that feed it and the impacts of climate change. An approach involving citizen scientists, experts, and art intentionally brings attention to how everyone’s contributions are needed to restore our inland sea.

This project is generously supported by the Wake the Great Salt Lake Grant. Wake the Great Salt Lake is a project of the Salt Lake City Arts Council and Mayor’s Office supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge. More info at wakegsl.org.