BUTTERFLY FAIRY INSTALLATION
Originally installed for Tower Hill Botanic Garden in 2021, and at ArtSpace Maynard since then, The Butterfly Fairy Frolic now lands at New Dawn Arts Center in Ashburnham!
The Butterfly Fairy Frolic:
Materials: bamboo, construction ties, paint
Scale: 12’ h x 12’ x 25’
In celebration of the science and activism of Karen Oberhauser (born 1956), an American conservation biologist with a specific interest in monarch butterflies. Oberhauser is a proponent of citizen science, environmental and scientific literacy. Oberhauser has been director for the Monarchs in the Classroom Program, president of the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation and director of the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project.
The glorious life story of the Monarch Butterfly is a science fairy tale. The Monarch Caterpillar goes through five major distinct stages of growth before the final chrysalis stage. The eastern North American monarch population is notable for its annual southward late-summer/autumn migration from the northern United States to Florida and Mexico. During the fall migration, monarchs cover thousands of miles, with a corresponding multi-generational return north.
Our Monarch Fairy celebrates this unbelievable – almost magical – story and honors one of the science pioneers and activists who continues to work hard to bring the story of the fantastical Monarch Butterfly’s life story to public view.
About The Myth Makers: The collaboration between Dodson and Moerlein is born from a mutual love of the wild. Dodson takes inspiration from the mysterious nature of birds that spark her imagination. Moerlein takes inspiration from events in the natural world that leave visual marks and strike a narrative chord in the artist.
Although monumental in scale, these ephemeral works are temporary in nature. Made from natural materials, they are site specific, and respond to their local audience. Meaning to only last 3-5 years, they appear, fade, and disappear, adding a chapter to the life stories in their communities.
The Myth Makers have completed over 50 projects in the past 11 years. They have worked in 16 states, plus Peru, Switzerland, China and Taiwan. Their work has won national awards and state recognition(s).
https://www.themythmakers.org/
Installed at New Dawn Arts Center in 2022
