SOLVANG — California Nature Art Museum (formerly the Wildling Museum) is excited to bring the important topic of pollinators to their gallery for the first time with the exhibit The Birds and the Bees and More: Pollinators. Featuring original art by Ava Roth, Susan McDonnell, Elizabeth Weber, and Cynthia James, each artist brings a unique perspective to their pollinating subjects. Toronto artist Ava Roth joins forces with honey bees to produce a series of artworks featuring bee-created honeycombs which she then imaginatively augments with other media. Susan McDonnell fashions luminous paintings with compositions featuring a variety of creatures such as bats and butterflies – lesser known as pollinators, but who fulfill that vital role in a variety of ecosystems. Documentary photographer Elizabeth Weber captures unique images of monarch butterflies to bring attention to their dwindling numbers, inspiring homeowners to plant native species in their yards and gardens to support pollinators. Santa Barbara artist Cynthia James, recognizes the increasing risks faced by pollinators like bees, and crafts fantastical paintings of flowers that seem slightly menacing, a subtle reference to pesticides which harm them.
This exhibit is also a collaboration with the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration at UC Santa Barbara. The Cheadle Center’s contribution focuses on native bees, including high-resolution images of rare, local bees from the UCSB Natural History Collection, and images of bees visiting flowers of native plants for an up-close look at their beauty and biodiversity. The exhibit not only showcases honey bees (the most widely known pollinator), but also native bees, butterflies, birds, and bats!
For more information about California Nature Art Museum please visit www.calnatureartmuseum.org. To schedule interviews or a tour with Executive Director, Stacey Otte-Demangate, or to request broadcast-quality B-roll and high-res images, please contact Joni Kelly, Communications Specialist at 805-886-1869 or jonikellycomm@gmail.com. A limited number of tickets are available to a special members-only reception featuring a discussion by UCSB’s Katja Seltmann, PhD, Director of The Cheadle Center for Biodiversity & Ecological Restoration. The event on Sunday, March 3, 3:00-5:00pm will feature music and microscopes and working members of the media are welcome to attend by advance arrangement.