A Year Without Summer – Part 1 introduces Courtney Blazon’s large, vibrant pen and marker artworks currently displayed in the Jessie Wilber Gallery. These mural-like, narrative pieces depict the 1815 eruption of the Volcano Tambora and the resulting chain of events that followed. Her works tie this singular event to origins of modern climate science and meteorology, wide spread famine and disease, and the emergence of gothic horror in literature and the arts. Further connections can be made to the opening of the Northwest Passage, the Chinese opium trade, American westward expansion, and much more. Courtney will share her inspiration for this series, how she made her connections, and introduce you to some of the historical figures who were influenced by the eruption.