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Appreciating the Little Workers in a BIG Way
If you are looking for something fun to do in Fort Worth, you might want to consider a trip to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Established in 1934, it’s the oldest major botanic garden in Texas. It’s also one of largest with 120 acres of stunning natural views and exciting exhibits. One of these exhibits just arrived and will be there until June 12th. Brought to you by the Botanic Research Institute of Texas and artist David Rogers, it’s an art exhibit called David Roger’s Big Bugs.
Photo courtesy of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden
David Rogers is an artist who, for the past twenty-five years, has been traveling to botanical centers across America to display what he calls his “big bugs.” They’re giant statues of various insects and arachnids made from natural materials. Rogers uses whole trees, cut green saplings, dry branches, and other forest materials to construct his bugs. The bugs are placed all throughout the gardens, and guests can view all of them with standard garden admission.
A special kick-off event for the exhibit was held on March 10th. It was a lovely party in the garden complete with a jazz trio, complementary food and drink, and speeches by David Rogers and CEO/President of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Patrick Newman. Newman worked at the Salt Lake City Botanic Gardens and the Austin Botanic Gardens before accepting his current position at the Fort Worth Garden. He talked about how he accepted both of his previous jobs right after the Salt Lake City gardens finished hosting the Big Bugs exhibit for the second time. This is the first time in his career that he has a chance to host the exhibit himself.
Photo courtesy of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden
David Rogers then gave a speech. He briefly talked about his background and his art before thanking his wife who is also his artistic partner. He said that the idea behind the exhibit is that insects outnumber us one million to one and that they are the “hidden gardeners” that are the ones truly responsible for maintaining the gardens. They do not get the credit they deserve because they are often hidden from view. Thus came the idea to increase their size dramatically and sprinkle them throughout botanical gardens all across America. Many botanical gardens have hosted the exhibit, often multiple times, over the last twenty-five years. However, this is the first time the Fort Worth Botanic Garden has hosted the exhibit.
The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is also home to the Japanese Garden featuring koi-filled pools, sculpted hillsides, crafted stonework, and dramatic waterfalls. There is also the iconic rose garden with a beautiful array of flower beds everywhere you look. You can spend the whole day out in a beautiful natural environment, taking breaks to check out the café and gift shop. It really is a spectacular place to visit, and, until June 12th, the landscape will be dotted with gigantic Bug statues to remind you of the millions of tiny, underappreciated workers that make all this possible.
Eric Zukoski is a senior at the University of Texas. He is interning with Madeworthy.
