This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
The Bellefonte Art Museum has partnered with the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Entomology for its new summer exhibition: “Entwined Worlds.” The exhibition, which explores the symbiotic relationship between humans and insects, is on display through Sunday, Aug. 25, at the museum, 133 N. Allegheny St., Bellefonte.
“Science and art really do intersect in a lot of different ways,” Lori Fisher, deputy director and gallery manager at the museum, explained. “Some of these images are unusual. You’ve probably seen the insects when they get up close to their eyes and wings; that’s artistic. There is a great connection between art and science.”
Plans for the exhibition began toward the end of 2023, with Michael Tribone, a graphic designer in the Department of Entomology, assisting Fisher in curating the installment. Looking for ways to connect people with nature in a unique way, Fisher, Tribone and the rest of the team created the exhibit with works from the Frost Entomological Museum at Penn State and the Center for Pollinator Research.
“The main point that influenced me the most in the design was taking the work that is done on campus that demonstrates the interactions of insects, people and our environment, then put that content in the community,” Tribone noted. “Lots of the photos and info panels show people how dynamic these insects are and their relation to us.”
Entomology refers to the study of insects, “the predominant species on Earth,” according to Penn State’s Department of Entomology, noting that there are more than a million known species of insects.
“I relied heavily on the work done by the Department of Entomology to make sure that we were highlighting accurate, intriguing and possibly unknown information about pollinators, gall wasps and leafminers,” Tribone explained. “Faculty researchers are the content experts and we worked together to refine the main points of each group.”
In addition to the photos and art on display, guests can enjoy a variety of interactive activities to learn about this symbiotic relationship between humans and insects.
“One of the things we always try to do with our summer programs is to have some type of interactive element,” Fisher said. “So, whenever visitors come in, they can not only view what’s on display, but they can also participate and do something.”
One of the highlights includes a map from Penn State professor Ben Andrew’s webcomic “Entanglement.” An ongoing comic, the story revolves around a solitary bee named Mason who discovers secrets by listening to the signals from plants in the area.
“Upcoming installments of the comic will be based on real sites around the Happy Valley, as Mason the bee unravels the mysteries of the mycorrhizal networks, supernatural entities and the influence of humans — and you can help,” the description for “Entangled” at the museum highlighted.
Guests are invited to place a sticker with a number on the displayed map, marking pollinator gardens in Centre County for Mason the bee to explore. Visitors then write the number on a sheet with information and details about the garden.
Another interactive component of the exhibition is the “butterfly flutters,” where museum guests are encouraged to write nature-inspired haiku to be displayed on the gallery wall. Fisher and Tribone noted plans for the exhibition to continue to grow in terms of content and activities.
“The exhibition will be evolving through July into August that includes more specimens and information about pollinators, bee hotels and bee health,” Tribone highlighted.
For Fisher, the opportunity for the Bellefonte Art Museum to work with local businesses, organizations and the university is influential in making connections throughout the community.
“It helps create more of a community environment,” Fisher noted. “People being able to come in and see that we’re collaborating with other organizations and branching out. We’re trying to let everyone know ‘hey, we want to work with you.’”
As the title “Entwined Worlds” suggests, connections are a main theme the curators hope guests take away from the exhibition.
“We are interconnected, and we should be inspired by how insects interact with our shared environment to create sustainable worlds,” Tribone said.
Another thing Tribone hopes visitors take away from the exhibition?
“Honeybees aren’t the only pollinators, and gall wasps are straight-up cool,” he emphasized.
Guests can visit the Bellefonte Art Museum to see the “Entwined Worlds” exhibition as well as other galleries from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Museum admission is free, and more information can be found at bellefontemuseum.org.
