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Heidi Neilson: SP Weather Station

CAE1410

Summary Note

SP Weather Station is an interdisciplinary project that collects weather data, hosts a Guest Lecture Series, organizes weather-related publications, events, exhibitions, and publishes a collated portfolio of weather reports.

Biographical Note

Heidi Neilson is an artist addressing topics such as weather, fake snow, and the cultural landscape of outer space. Her work, often collaborative and publishing-based, has been supported by the Art Matters Foundation, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, the Center for Book Arts, the College Book Art Association, The Drawing Center, Flux Factory, I-Park, the International Print Center New York, the Islip Art Museum, Kala Art Institute, LMCC, the Lower East Side Printshop, Provisions Library, the Queens Museum of Art, Visual Studies Workshop, and Women’s Studio Workshop. She is a member of the ABC Artists’ Books Cooperative, co-founded SP Weather Station, and her work is included in over 60 museum and university collections. Born in Oregon, Heidi received a BA in biology from Reed College and an MFA in painting from Pratt Institute and lives and works in New York. Natalie Campbell is an independent curator, artist and arts worker active in DC and New York, and is a co-founder of SP Weather Station. She graduated from Ohio State University in 1999 (B.A. in Studio Art; B.A. English Literature) and is currently pursuing an MA in Art History at Hunter College. She is an independent curator and artist with six years of experience working at Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, New York; currently, she works as an artist assistant producing multimedia installations. Her recent activities include The Crier (in collaboration with Martine Workman), an artist-run newspaper with contributions from DC artists, launched in conjunction with an installation at Pleasant Plains Workshop. She has curated exhibitions at Smack Mellon, Brooklyn (2011), Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery, New York (2010), The Center for Book Arts, New York (2009); NurtureArt, Brooklyn (2007); and Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale NY (2007). She currently teaches in the Department of Arts and Humanities at the Corcoran College of Art + Design.

Scope and Content

Co-founded by artists Natalie Campbell and Heidi Neilson in 2007, SP Weather Station is an interdisciplinary project that collects weather data, hosts a Guest Lecture Series, and organizes weather-related publications, events, and exhibitions. As an informal umbrella organization, SPWS invites participation from many other artists, groups, and weather enthusiasts, while maintaining a rooftop station base in Long Island City, New York. Collected data is posted online at Weather Underground and PWS Weather.

SP Weather Station builds on the existing international phenomenon of Personal Weather Stations. Weather station enthusiasts worldwide combine DIY analogue technology with organized web forums for collecting and analyzing data. By recording its neighborhood’s environmental conditions, SPWS participates in and adds to some of the many ways people have, throughout history, made their own weather observations. SPWS maintains an interest in new and historical technologies, and in how individuals relate to broader systems and patterns. SP Weather Station/Flux Factory is situated within the Newtown Creek watershed and is a participating station in the Newtown Creek Alliance’s Weather in the Watershed compilation map.

Each year, SPWS publishes a collated portfolio of weather reports. One artist (or artist group) per month is invited to ‘report’ on the weather data taken by SPWS instruments on the roof of Flux Factory in Long Island City, NY. This open-ended assignment may be interpreted strictly or loosely; artists have created prints, booklets, drawings, audio files, photos and videos.

Arrangement

The Heidi Neilson: SP Weather Station archive is organized into seven series. The first series is program related ephemera, while the remaining six series are organized by year, and further organized by month.
  • Series 1: Program Ephemera
  • Series 2: SP Weather Station 2008 Reports
  • Series 3: SP Weather Station 2009 Reports
  • Series 4: SP Weather Station 2010 Reports
  • Series 5: SP Weather Station 2011 Reports
  • Series 6: SP Weather Station 2012 Reports
  • Series 7: SP Weather Station 2013 Reports

Inclusive Dates

1999-2014

Bulk Dates

2008-2013

Quantity / Extent

2 cubic feet

Language

English

Related Archive Collections

  • CAE1104: Canary Project: Landscapes of Climate Change
  • CAE1041: Center for Land Use Interpretation: Wendover Residencies
  • CAE1213: Kim Abeles

Related Publications

Lippard, Lucy. Weather Report: Art and Climate Change. Boulder, CO: Boulder Museum of Contemporary Arts, 2007.

Neilson, Heidi. Atlas Dream Sequence. New York, NY: Self-published, 2011.

Neilson, Heidi. Faxes From Space. New York, NY: Self-published, 2014.

Neilson, Heidi. Six Years of Weather. New York, NY, Self-published, 2014

Neilson, Heidi. Tranquility Base. New York, NY: Self-published, 2012.

Container Listing by Series:

CAE1410/1 Series 1: Program Ephemera, 1999-2012

Series 1 contains organizational material, research material, the guest lecture series, special events, and the "Queens International 4" exhibition.

  • ARCH-FILE 41-1

    • 1-1 Organizational Materials, 2008-2010
    • 1-2 Research Materials, 1999-2008
    • 1-3 Guest Lecture Series, 2002-2008
    • 1-4 Special Events, Air Quality Bake Sale, 2008
    • 1-5 Queens International 4 Exhibition, 2009

Additional Materials

  • ARCH-OBJ 1

    • 1-4#3 Particulate Matter Marshmallow, 12/9/52 London UK, 2008
    • 1-4#4 Particulate Matter Marshmallow, 4/12/06 Rosendale NY, 2008
    • 1-4#5 Particulate Matter Marshmallow, 7/11/06 Norwich CT, 2008

  • Archive F17 Oversized Items

    • 1-3#2b Introduction to Divination, Poster, 2008
    • 1-3#4b Andrea Poll: Ground Truth, Poster, 2008
    • 1-3#8b Jane D. Marsching: Arctic Listening Post, Poster, 2009
    • 1-3#10b Storm Chasing, Poster, 2010
    • 1-4#2 Air Quality Bake Sale, Poster, 2008

  • Archive S-Box 17

    • 1-1#3 SP Weather Station and Weather Networks, Poster, not dated
    • 1-3#1b Cross Current Resonance Transducer, Poster, 2008
    • 1-3#3b Ian Cheney Filmmaker on "The City Dark", Poster, 2008
    • 1-3#6b Nathalie Miebach, Poster, 2009
    • 1-3#7b Three Weather Talks in the Panorama, Poster, 2009
    • 1-3#12b WATER / SPONGE, Poster, 2011

CAE1410/2 Series 2: SP Weather Station 2008 Reports, Ed. #1/30, 2008

Series 2 contains the portfolio artworks for 2008.

  • ARCH-FILE 41-1

    • 2-1 Heidi Neilson, January 2008, 1/2008
    • 2-2 Natalie Campbell, Daniel Larson, Heidi Neilson, Jing Yu, and Liz Zanis, February 2008, 2/2008
    • 2-3 Katarina Jerinic, March 2008, 3/2008
    • 2-4 Lize Mogel, April 2008, 4/2008
    • 2-5 Chris Petrone, May 2008, 5/2008
    • 2-6 Bridget Lewis, June 2008, 6/2008
    • 2-7 Michael Geminder, July 2008, 7/2008
    • 2-8 Leah Beeferman, August 2008, 8/2008
    • 2-9 Neil Freeman, September 2008, 9/2008
    • 2-10 Sarah Nicole Phillips, October 2008, 10/2008
    • 2-11 Carrie Dashow, November 2008, 11/2008
    • 2-12 Richard Garrison, December 2008, 12/2008

Additional Materials

  • Archive S-Box 14

    • 2-1#1 January, 2008, Color laser print, 2008
    • 2-2#1a Leap Day Wind Direction, Envelope, 2008
    • 2-2#1b Leap Day Wind Direction, Screen print, 2008
    • 2-2#1c Leap Day Wind Direction, Compass, Not dated
    • 2-3#1 Recorded Wind Direction at 12 noon, March 2008, Archival inkjet print with temporary tattoo, 2008
    • 2-4#1 April is the Cruelest Month, Video, 2008
    • 2-5#1a Untitled, Double-sided screen print, 2008
    • 2-5#1b Untitled, Envelope, 2008
    • 2-6#1 Untitled, Screen print, 2008
    • 2-7#1 Untitled, Laser cut corrugated cardboard, 2008
    • 2-8#1 A Weather-Reading Device Expands and Contracts as the Temperature Rises and Falls, Video 2008
    • 2-9#1 Untitled, Archival inkjet print, 2008
    • 2-10#1 Entry in a Field Guide: Draft Snakes, Laser print, 2008
    • 2-11#1a Untitled, Video, 2008
    • 2-11#1b Untitled, Video, 2008
    • 2-12#1 Wind (Speed & Direction), December 1-31, 2008, Archival inkjet print, 2008

CAE1410/3 Series 3: SP Weather Station 2009 Reports, Ed. #20/30, 2009

Series 3 contains the portfolio artworks for 2009.

  • ARCH-FILE 41-1

    • 3-1 Mike Estabrook and Vandana Jain, January 2009, 1/2009
    • 3-2 Susan Goethel Campbell, February 2009, 2/2009
    • 3-3 Emily Larned, March 2009, 3/2009
    • 3-4 Luke Strosnider, April 2009, 4/2009
    • 3-5 Andrea Polli, May 2009, 5/2009
    • 3-6 Mark Nystron, June 2009, 6/2009
    • 3-7 Patricia Zarate, July 2009, 7/2009
    • 3-8 Jane D. Marsching, August 2009, 8/2009
    • 3-9 Stephanie Rothenberg, September 2009, 9/2009
    • 3-10 Graham Parker, October 2009, 10/2009
    • 3-11 Isaac Gertman, November 2009, 11/2009
    • 3-12 Birgit Rathsmann, December 2009, 12/2009

Additional Materials

  • Archive S-Box 14

    • 3-1#1 January, 2009, Postcard, 2009
    • 3-2#1 Dirty Snow, February 2009, Inkjet print book, 2009
    • 3-3#1 March 2009, Drawing 2009
    • 3-4#1 Thirty Skies (Amsterdam/New Amsterdam), Inkjet print, 2009
    • 3-6#1a Winds, Inkjet print, 2009
    • 3-6#1b Winds, Inkjet print, 2009
    • 3-6#1c Winds, Inkjet print, 2009
    • 3-6#1d Winds, CD, 2009
    • 3-7#1a WATER, NoWater, WATER, NoWater, WATER No WATER, Water, NoWATER, Water, NoWATER, Envelope, 2009
    • 3-7#1b WATER, NoWater, WATER, NoWater, WATER No WATER, Water, NoWATER, Water, NoWATER, Pamphlet, 2009
    • 3-7#1c WATER, NoWater (glass of water), Photographic inkjet print, 2009
    • 3-7#1d WATER, NoWater (drank the water), Photographic inkjet print, 2009
    • 3-7#1e WATER, NoWater (bag of water), Photographic inkjet print, 2009
    • 3-7#1f WATER, NoWater (washed dishes), Photographic inkjet print, 2009
    • 3-7#1g WATER, NoWater (pour water), Photographic inkjet print, 2009
    • 3-7#1h WATER, NoWater (wash hair), Photographic inkjet print, 2009
    • 3-8#1 Dance Weather, Inkjet print, 2009
    • 3-9#1 30 days of September 2009 in My Second Life, Inkjet postcards, 2009
    • 3-10#1 Untitled, Inkjet print, 2009
    • 3-11#1 Untitled, Offset print on newsprint, 2009
    • 3-12#1 The Air of Cold Objectivity, Inkjet print, 2009

CAE1410/4 Series 4: SP Weather Station 2010 Reports, Ed. #13/30, 2010-2011

Series 4 contains the portfolio artworks for 2010.

  • ARCH-FILE 41-1

    • 4-1 Liz Zanis, January 2010, 1/2010-2011
    • 4-2 Graham McDougal, February 2010, 2/2010-2011
    • 4-3 James Walsh, March 2010, 3/2010-2011
    • 4-4 Carissa Carman, April 2010, 4/2010-2011
    • 4-5 Mark Parsons, May 2010, 5/2010-2011
    • 4-6 Tim Dye, June 2010, 6/2010
    • 4-7 Douglas Paulson, July 2010, 7/2010-2011
    • 4-8 Robyn York, August 2010, 8/2010
    • 4-9 Cross Current Resonance Transducer, September 2010, 9/2010-2011
    • 4-10 Nicholas Fraser, October 2010, 10/2010-2011
    • 4-11 Man Bartlett and Angela Washko, November 2010, 11/2010-2011
    • 4-12 Ellie Harrison, December 2010, 12/2010-2011

Additional Materials

  • Archive S-Box 14

    • 4-1#1 Mr. G and G.G. in January 2010, Screenprint on balsa wood, necklace chain, 2011; Flux Factory’s Roof in January 2010, Screenprint on paper, 2011
    • 4-2#1 SP Weather Station Weather Report: February 2010, Archival ultrachome print, 2011
    • 4-3#1 Diary of the Weather, Letterpress print, 2011
    • 4-4#1 April Showers Portable H20 Filter Number One, Mimaki print on cotton, paper, staples, terra cotta ball, metal ring, needle, thread, plastic bag, 2011
    • 4-5#1 A Day & the Data, Intaglio, collage, and ink on paper, 2011
    • 4-6#1a WeatherDots, Artists’ statement, 2010
    • 4-6#1b WeatherDots, June 1-15, 2010, Digital print, 2010
    • 4-7#1 Appreciating the July, Laser printed mounted on board, 2011
    • 4-8#1 Emotional Weather Report, Pigment print, 2010
    • 4-9#1 CCRT Spiral Sound Print, Data-driven laser cut screenprint on laser cut paper, 2011
    • 4-10#1 talk about the weather or how the weather used to be, Digital pigment print, 2011
    • 4-11#1 Flux Factory Brainstorming Document, Photocopy with ink and water, 2011

CAE1410/5 Series 5: SP Weather Station 2011 Reports, Ed. #21/30, 2011-2012

Series 5 contains the portfolio artworks for 2011.

  • ARCH-FILE 41-1

    • 5-1 Emcee C.M., January 2011, 1/2011-2012
    • 5-2 Glen Einbinder, February 2011, 2/2011-2012
    • 5-3 Rafael Hidalgo Múgica, March 2011, 3/2011-2012
    • 5-4 Naomi Miller, April 2011, 4/2011-2012
    • 5-5 Chad Stayrook, May 2011, 5/2011-2012
    • 5-6 Michelle Rosenberg and Howard Huang, June 2011, 6/2011-2012
    • 5-7 Hope Ginsburg, July 2011, 7/2011-2012
    • 5-8 eteam, August 2011, 8/2011-2012
    • 5-9 Paul Kennedy, September 2011, 9/2011-2012
    • 5-10 Adrienne Garbini, October 2011, 10/2011
    • 5-11 Travis LeRoy Southworth, November 2011, 11/2011-2012
    • 5-12 Rick Myers, December 2011, 12/2011-2012

Additional Materials

  • Archive S-Box 15

    • 5-1#1 The land gives us all we need to survive, Booklet, 2012
    • 5-2#1a Weatherlore Cards, Cricket - 1 Chirp in 14 Seconds, Digital laser print, 2012
    • 5-2#1b Weatherlore Cards, Cow - Facing South-Southeast, Digital laser print, 2012
    • 5-2#1c Weatherlore Cards, Cup of Coffee - Bubbles in Middle, Digital laser print, 2012
    • 5-2#1d Weatherlore Cards, Persimmon - Spoon Shape Inside Seed, Digital laser print, 2012
    • 5-2#1e Weatherlore Cards, Bog Pimpernel - Open, Digital laser print, 2012
    • 5-2#1f Weatherlore Cards, Woollybear - 4 Brown Segments, Digital laser print, 2012
    • 5-4#1 Health Report for My Mother, April 2011, Video, 2012
    • 5-5#1 Gambling with the Weather: Roulette, Inkjet print on newsprint, 2012
    • 5-6#1 Visor Calendar, Visor, 2012
    • 5-7#1 Toy Sponge Divers with July High Temperature Data, Cut wool felt and cello sleeve, 2012
    • 5-8#1 No day without weather, Crayon on ruled notebook paper, 2012
    • 5-9#1a John Davault’s Weather Diaries: September 1871–June 1881, Leesburg, Tennessee, Pigmented inkjet print, 2011–12
    • 5-9#1b John Davault’s Weather Diaries: July 1881–January 1896, Leesburg, Tennessee, Pigmented inkjet print, 2011–12
    • 5-10#1 October, Inkjet print on newspaper, 2011
    • 5-11#1 Sunspots, Inkjet print, 2012
    • 5-12#1 Mirror System (December 2011), Glass vial in plastic box, 2012

CAE1410/6 Series 6: SP Weather Station 2012 Reports, Ed. #21/30, 2012-2013

Series 6 contains the portfolio artworks for 2012.

  • ARCH-FILE 41-1

    • 6-1 Rena Leinberger, January 2012, 1/2012-2013
    • 6-2 Jesper Aabile, February 2012, 2/2012-2013
    • 6-3 Beka Goedde, March 2012, 3/2012
    • 6-4 Roni Gross, April 2012, 4/2012
    • 6-5 Jordi Williams, May 2012, 5/2012-2013
    • 6-6 Tara Cooper, June 2012, 6/2012-2013
    • 6-7 Emily Bunker, July 2012, 7/2012-2013
    • 6-8 Peter Jellitsch, August 2012, 8/2012-2013
    • 6-9 Birds’ Ear View Collective (Jon Barraclough and Alexandra Wolkowicz), September 2012, 9/2012-2013
    • 6-10 Kyle Holland and Elizabeth Sheehan, October 2012, 10/2012-2013
    • 6-11 Rachel L. Cohn, Frej Meinild Larsen, Ebbe Dam Meinild, and Laurids Sonne, November 2012, 11/2012-2013
    • 6-12 Paula McCartney, December 2012, 12/2012-2013

Additional Materials

  • Archive S-Box 16

    • 6-1#1 Stepping into the same weather more than once, Digital offset print, 2013
    • 6-2#1 February 2012, Paper packaging, 2013
    • 6-2#2 February 2012, Feb. 01, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#3 February 2012, Feb. 02, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#4 February 2012, Feb. 03, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#5 February 2012, Feb. 04, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#6 February 2012, Feb. 05, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#7 February 2012, Feb. 06, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#8 February 2012, Feb. 07, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#9 February 2012, Feb. 08, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#10 February 2012, Feb. 09, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#11 February 2012, Feb. 10, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#12 February 2012, Feb. 11, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#13 February 2012, Feb. 12, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#14 February 2012, Feb. 13, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#15 February 2012, Feb. 14, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#16 February 2012, Feb. 15, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#17 February 2012, Feb. 16, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#18 February 2012, Feb. 17, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#19 February 2012, Feb. 18, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#20 February 2012, Feb. 19, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#21 February 2012, Feb. 20, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#22 February 2012, Feb. 21, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#23 February 2012, Feb. 22, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#24 February 2012, Feb. 23, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#25 February 2012, Feb. 24, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#26 February 2012, Feb. 25, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#27 February 2012, Feb. 26, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#28 February 2012, Feb. 27, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#29 February 2012, Feb. 28, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-2#30 February 2012, Feb. 29, Digital print, 2013
    • 6-3#1 Ten Possibilities for a Water Glass, Photolithography on Magnani paper, 2012
    • 6-4#1 Weather For Thirty of Twelve, 2012, Color Xerox, 2012
    • 6-5#1 Divining End Time: Readings for May 2012, Inkjet prints, 2013
    • 6-6#1 Hotter Than A Two Dollar Pistol, Photopolymer etching, 2013
    • 6-7#1 July 2012, Digital print with acrylic, 2013
    • 6-8#1a Molecule Model, Artists’ statement, 2013
    • 6-8#1b Molecule Model, Screen print, 2013
    • 6-9#1a September 2012, Scroll, 2013
    • 6-9#1b September 2012, Document, 2013
    • 6-10#1a October (1), Letterpress, suminagashi marbling, and pressure printing on Stonehenge Pearl Gray paper, 2013
    • 6-10#1b October (2), Letterpress, suminagashi marbling, and pressure printing on Stonehenge Pearl Gray paper, 2013
    • 6-11#1 Replica of West Norwegian vær maskin (Weather machine), 2013
    • 6-12#1 Weather or Not, Digital print artist book, 2013

CAE1410/7 Series 7: SP Weather Station 2013 Reports, Ed. #13/30, 2013-2014

Series 7 contains the portfolio artworks for 2013.

  • ARCH-FILE 41-1

    • 7-1 Louise Barry, January 2013, 1/2013-2014
    • 7-2 Einat Imber, February 2013, 2/2013-2014
    • 7-3 May Jong, March 2013, 3/2013-2014
    • 7-4 David Grainger, April 2013, 4/2013-2014
    • 7-5 Anne Gilman, May 2013, 5/2013-2014
    • 7-6 Amze Emmons and Marianne Dages, June 2013, 6/2013
    • 7-7 Heather Kapplow, July 2013, 7/2013-2014
    • 7-8 Ellie Irons in collaboration with Dan Phiffer, August 2013, 8/2013-2014
    • 7-9 Eric Asboe, September 2013, 9/2013-2014
    • 7-10 Katherine McLeod, October 2013, 10/2013
    • 7-11 Sarah Nicholls, November 2013, 11/2013-2014
    • 7-12 Amanda Friedman, December 2013, 12/2013-2014

Additional Materials

  • ARCH-OBJ 14

    • 7-1#1 Januaries, Digital print book, 2014
    • 7-2#1 Just Add Wind, Fabric and hardware, 2014
    • 7-3#1 Global Desertification and Sea Level Rise Including Extremes, Screenprint, 2014
    • 7-4#1 Tornado #28, Inkjet print on archival paper, 2014
    • 7-5#1 One must adjust to a lack of predictable outcomes, Digital print with chine-collé woodcut, 2014
    • 7-6#1 June, Letterpress and screenprint, 2013
    • 7-7#1a Acclimation, Canvas sleeve, 2014
    • 7-7#1b Acclimation, Artists’ statement, 2014
    • 7-7#1c Acclimation, DVD video, 2014
    • 7-8#1a Selections from Flight Lines, August 2013, Paper case, 2014
    • 7-8#1b Flight Lines for August 14, 2013, East Bushwick Roof, Postcard, 2014
    • 7-8#1c Flight Lines for August 23, 2013, Bushwick Fire Escape, Postcard, 2014
    • 7-8#1d Flight Lines for August 25, 2013, Newtown Creek Nature Walk, Postcard, 2014
    • 7-8#1e Flight Lines for August 29, 2013, Flux Factory Roof, Postcard, 2014
    • 7-8#1f Flight Lines for August 30, 2013, East Bushwick Roof, Postcard, 2014
    • 7-8#1g Flight Lines for August 31, 2013, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Postcard, 2014
    • 7-8#1h Selections from Flight Lines, August 2013, DVD video, 2014
    • 7-9#1 It takes more than a month to be made whole; it takes less than the weather to shape our days, 2014
    • 7-10#1a Nonno’s poem from Night of the Iguana, Button, 2013
    • 7-10#1b Nonno’s poem from Night of the Iguana, Button, 2013
    • 7-10#1c Nonno’s poem from Night of the Iguana, Button, 2013
    • 7-10#1d Nonno’s poem from Night of the Iguana, Button, 2013
    • 7-10#1e Nonno’s poem from Night of the Iguana, Button, 2013
    • 7-10#1f Nonno’s poem from Night of the Iguana, Button, 2013
    • 7-11#1 How to Fortell the Weather Using the Pocket Spectroscope, Letterpress and linoleum print on paper, 2014
    • 7-12#1 December Wind Speed Swans, Wire, nails, and found objects, 2013–2014