Powerful Bugs: A MOG Education Program Showcasing the Fascinating World of Insects
By Susan Warner, Curator of Education
The exhibition Field Notes presents an eclectic overview of nature from the late 19th century through to contemporary times, as seen through the eyes of artists. From Emilé Gallé's romantic depictions of the beauty of nature, to the close observations of Flora Mace and Joey Kirkpatrick, to the works of William Morris, who took inspiration from Indigenous American designs, this exhibition provides a sweeping overview of the glory of nature. The exhibition title refers to the scientific practice of recording natural observations through notes, drawings, and diagrams, arguably the most famous being Charles Darwin’s Beagle Field Notes recorded from 1831–1836 (most recently published in 2009 by Cambridge University Press). The practice of recording nature is as old as humankind. Still, our view of nature has changed over many centuries, influenced by religion, culture, economics, and, of course, our current impactful problem of climate change.
MOG’s Education Department focused on the marvelous flameworked collection of Vittorio Constantini (b. 1944) glass insects included in Field Notes, commissioned in 2006 for the Stroemple Collection. As cited on their website, the commission's goal was "to develop a collection of glass entomological specimens to showcase Constantini’s unique adeptness of recreating the natural world in glass and amass a collection that refers to other artwork based on natural history." To pursue this endeavor, MOG's education team has partnered with the University of Puget Sound's Museum of Natural History and its rich entomological collections. The MOG team met with Education Curator Beatrice Bugos, and Executive Director Kena Fox Dobbs to select specimens for the Education Studio for Museum guests to study, sketch, and admire. Under the guidance of Education Studio Artist Shannon Eakins, students and visitors can also make their very own bug-based crafts from found materials. These activities will form the basis of the Museum’s Powerful Bugs education program in conjunction with Field Notes.
The Education Studio will present a natural environment where students and the public can celebrate bugs' decisive contribution to our natural world, from clean-up to pollination. These purposeful and industrious creatures are not always celebrated in our technological world. Bugs need champions and wild places, as Doug Tallamy writes in Nature's Best Hope: How You Can Save the World in Your Own Yard. Tallamy argues for the use of native plants and the reduction of all-grass lawns in favor of more insect-friendly environments. In this spirit, we invite you to connect, enjoy, learn, and feel well in nature by creating your own powerful bug in MOG's Education Studio. We look forward to celebrating the necessity of this planet's community of bugs together.
Further Resources:
See episode 6 of the Museum of Glass Junior Curator Academy, where the de la Torre brothers discuss their installation Of Natural Causes in a hard-hitting discussion on the role of religion and other forces on the demise/disconnect of humans from nature through the ages. Other exciting books include: Jedediah Perry's After Nature: A Politics for the Anthropocene; the collection of essays in Changing Perspectives on Nature; and Amy Tan’s recent delightful observations in The Backyard Bird Chronicles.
Image Credits:
Vittorio Costantini (Italian, born 1944). Entomological Specimens. Hot-sculpted glass. The George R. Stroemple Collection, A Stroemple/Stirek Collaboration.