(Chelsea Update would like to thank Virginia Krueger for the information in this story.)
Chelsea District Library (CDL) is excited to announce the pending arrival of the nationally touring Small Wonders: Insects in Focus exhibition.
In the air, water, and even under foot, insects inhabit every domain of our daily lives, performing essential functions that balance our fragile ecosystem on earth.
By using cutting-edge technology and custom methods, artist Bob Sober created Small Wonders: Insects in Focus, an exhibition of breathtaking beauty that allows viewers to see this hidden world like they’ve never seen it before.
Small Wonders aims to inspire, in an artistic way, our natural curiosity to understand the form, function, and diversity of nature. Visit the exhibition at the library Tuesday, Sept. 7 through Wednesday, Oct. 20. Gallery hours will correspond to CDL’s normal business hours, but will close one hour prior to the library’s closing time.
Creating human-scale images of insects, with resolution so high that every hair, dimple, and tiny structure is clearly revealed, was impossible prior to the technological advancements of the past ten years.
High-resolution digital cameras, fast personal computers, economical digital storage, and powerful software applications capable of assisting with the assembly of hundreds or thousands of individual photographs create the opportunity to capture accurate images of insects as they truly exist.
These new ways of seeing confront viewers with the idea that insects display the elements we attribute to good design or beautiful artwork. Wild, multi-colored patterns sometimes come from hair, sometimes from iridescent scales, and other times from colors integral to the insect’s exoskeleton. These tiny creatures are indeed artwork, in every sense of the word.
Bob Sober, a visual artist as well as technological pioneer whose photographic techniques are the subject of educational tutorials, offers a series of images that bring the natural world to a scale rarely experienced until now.
“My attitude is that the insect is the artwork,” says Sober in a press release. “My role is to create a human scale image that may allow the viewer to see the patterns, textures, colors and details that have always been present, but too small to appreciate. I also hope that my images stir a new curiosity in the viewer as they have in me. A sense of wonder about the world around them.”
Small Wonders finds viewers at the intersection of art and science, and brings together two fields of thought in a provocative and inspiring way. For more exhibition information please visit www.art.chelseadistrictlibrary.org/smallwonders.
Throughout September and October, CDL will offer exhibition tours and fun prize drawings, host local Artist in Residence Frank Cianciolo, and provide a variety of programs and activities related to the Small Wonders exhibition. From painting bug-themed kindness rocks to MSU Virtual Bug House tours, and a special pollinator presentation from local beekeeper John Dohner, all ages will be able to dive into the artistic insect world.
Be sure to check out the library’s program calendar by visiting www.chelseadistrictlibrary.org and clicking on the events tab.
The exhibition is organized by ExhibitsUSA, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance.
About ExhibitsUSA:
This exhibition is toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national program of Mid-America Arts Alliance. ExhibitsUSA sends more than twenty-five exhibitions on tour to over 100 small- and mid-sized communities every year. These exhibitions create access to an array of arts and humanities experiences, nurture the understanding of diverse cultures and art forms, and encourage the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local communities. For more about ExhibitsUSA, email [email protected] or visit www.eusa.org.
About Mid-America Arts Alliance:
Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) strengthens and supports artists, cultural organizations, and communities throughout our region and beyond. We achieve this primarily through our national traveling exhibition programs, innovative leadership development, and strategic grant making. We are especially committed to enriching the cultural life of historically underserved communities by providing high quality, meaningful, and accessible arts and culture programs and services. We believe in more art for more people. Additional information about M-AAA is available at www.maaa.org.
