[Kidspace Children’s Museum]
Kidspace Children’s Museum kicked off Butterfly Season 2024 with a spectacular blend of art and conservation, showcasing the transformative power of community collaboration and environmental consciousness. The museum’s latest exhibit, Butterfly Kaleidoscope, is a vibrant testament to the intricate connection between human actions and wildlife preservation.
Opened in March and running until May 19, the installation invites visitors to delve into a world where creativity meets ecological responsibility.
Designed by artist-in-residence Christopher Lutter-Gardella, in collaboration with museum visitors and volunteers, the installation celebrates the delicate yet vital role of butterflies and pollinators in Southern California’s ecosystem. Formerly known as Magic in the Air, Butterfly Kaleidoscope is a dynamic display of Monarch butterflies crafted from upcycled materials, symbolizing the harmonious coexistence between humans and wildlife.
“Butterflies, including Monarchs, are important pollinators,” Lutter-Gardella said, emphasizing their ecological significance. They are a gift of beauty to our life here on Earth.”
In assembling the installation, Lutter-Gardella worked with students from Marshall Fundamental School and with Pasadena Unified School District art teacher Luis Rendon. Rendon is also head of the Academy for Creative Industries (ACI) at Marshall Fundamental.
“They were briefed on the intentions and inspirations for the piece and then participated in a communal assembly line of handiwork, making the various parts of the butterflies, and assembling them into the final, completed butterfly figures, 200 of them,” Lutter-Gardella said. “Students twisted probosci, added legs, antennae; attached the bodies to the wings, speckled the thoraxes, and strung the pieces for hanging. It was like a butterfly factory!”
The interactive mobile is composed entirely of materials sourced from the waste stream, exemplifying the museum’s dedication to sustainability.
“Butterfly Kaleidoscope is a project that we did as a community and the butterflies are actually made out of upcycled waste stream material,” said Sara Jennings, Senior Manager for Marketing and Community Relations at Kidspace Children’s Museum. “The idea is that we believe that kids can really understand that human behavior really has its impact on wild creatures, even something as small as a butterfly.”
Lutter-Gardella said the installation is “essentially a kind of homage to nature” and encourages a deeper appreciation for the natural world. The exhibit not only showcases the beauty of butterflies but also serves as a poignant reminder of the environmental challenges they face.
Through Butterfly Kaleidoscope, Kidspace encourages visitors of all ages to explore the intersection of art, conservation, and community action. The museum also hopes to inspire environmental stewardship and ignite curiosity about the interconnectedness of all living beings.
“It is our mission to provide joyful hands-on experiences for children, and we believe that butterfly season and spring is such a great way to introduce kids to the natural world with Earth Day coming up,” Jennings said. “It’s right in line with Earth Day to help budding naturalists really dig in and learn about pollinators and their impact in the Southern California ecosystem. We really believe in child driven experiences. So everything that we do, we want to be accessible and exciting to kids at their level.”
For more information about Butterfly Season 2024 and the Butterfly Kaleidoscope art installation, including admission information, visit https://kidspacemuseum.org/
