July 13th through September of 2024, Mesa County Libraries is proud to host the traveling exhibition We are Water: Connecting Communities. This exhibit will be displayed at the Central Library and made available to the public during opening hours.
What is the We are Water project?
The We are Water project aims to bring together individuals, families, and communities in the Four Corners area of the U.S. to share their memories and stories about water, and to gain education through an interactive exhibit and related programming. The exhibit has four parts, each highlighting a different theme: Water and Life, Water Use, Water Rights, Water in the Landscape, and Water and Our Community. Each piece of the exhibit also includes a fun hands-on activity or game!
The project is offered by the Cooperative Institute for Environmental Sciences (CIRES), the National Center for Interactive Learning at the Space Science Institute (NCIL/SSI), STARNet, Indigenous Education Institute (IEI), CoCoRaHS, Western Water Assessment, and the University of Colorado Boulder, with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Come check out this engaging exhibit at the Central Library through September, and stay tuned to this page for a wide array of wonderful, water-related programming.
Featured Events
Opening Day Celebration – Saturday, July 13th, 2024
10am-12pm, Central Library
(All Ages – Families encouraged!)
Join us to celebrate the Opening Day of the We are Water exhibit. This family-friendly event offers local organization booths, fun activities discussing water issues, and a chance to win water-themed prizes.
Take and Make Kit releases
Preschool STEAM Class – Friday, July 19, 2024
Central Library Community Room
9:30am or 10:30am
(Ages 3-5)
Join us for a special preschooler STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) class where kids ages 3-5 can interact with a water-inspired activity.
Preschool STEAM Class – Friday, July 26, 2024
Central Library Community Room
9:30am or 10:30am
(Ages 3-5)
Join us for a special preschooler STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) class where kids ages 3-5 can interact with a water-inspired activity.
Kids Club (ages 6-11): Wine Cork Rafts – August (Multiple dates and locations)
Ahoy, mateys! Bring your tying fingers to make a floating raft with wine corks, complete with your individually decorated sail, mast, and flag.
The River of Sorrows film showing and panel discussion – August 28th
6pm-7:30pm, Central Library Community Room
(Teen or Adult)
Join Mesa County Libraries and film production company Rig to Flip as we watch the The River of Sorrows, a documentary that follows two rafters down the near-dry Dolores River in southwest Colorado as they navigate the complex issues facing the river and surrounding landscape. This documentary showing will be followed by a Q&A panel with local water experts.
Story Walk in the Discovery Garden – September 3 thru 30, 2024
Discovery Garden, 517 Chipeta Avenue
(Youth and Families)
Take the kids for an interactive stroll through the Mesa County Libraries Discovery Garden in downtown Grand Junction. During this walk about, explore the story We are Water Protectors written by Carole Lindstrom and learn about protecting water – one of the earth’s most precious resources. The story walk is available in English and Spanish.
The Water Knife Book Discussion – September 10, 2024
6pm-7pm, Central Library Monument Room
(Adult)
Read The Water Knife by author Paolo Bacigalupi and join fellow readers for an engaging, water-themed book discussion. The Water Knife is an ecological, dystopian fiction novel that brings a science-fiction spin to an apocalyptic drought occurring in the American Southwest. Bacigalupi will be present at this year’s Mesa County Libraries Comic Con on September 20th!
Stop-Motion Animation Workshop – September (Multiple dates)
(Teen)
Check back on this page for more fun events surrounding the We are Water exhibit.