Love Motel for Insects by Brandon Ballangée
The Art of Urban Environments Festival will be hosting a bug party and nocturnal field trip this Saturday for any kids out there who LIKE BUGS. Designed to give visitors a close-up look at insects, the Bugfest takes place Saturday, July 30 at Lafayette College’s Williams Visual Arts Building on North Third Street, Easton from 2-5 p.m. Perfect for families with children of all ages and amateur entomologists, Bugfest features music, crafts and delectable dishes made with creepy crawlers. Bug pizza anyone? Folks can also watch the intimate mating habits of bugs at the Love Motel for Insects, a canvas installation that uses ultra-violet lights to draw moths, mayflies and other arthropods – which make up three-quarters of all animals on Earth.
Then from 8-10 p.m., Brandon Ballengée, an environmental artist from New York City, will take visitors on a nocturnal field trip along the Bushkill Creek to spy on moths, fireflies, katydids and other creatures. Ballengée created Love Motel to give audiences a better appreciation for local ecology and insect biodiversity. It is one of about 10 outdoor multimedia exhibits created for the Art of Urban Environments Fest, a joint endeavor between Lafayette and the City of Easton that runs until October. The sculptures are scattered throughout downtown Easton and Lafayette’s arts campus and include among other works a moss bed by local artist Martha Posner, a giant nest and a sculpture made from broken umbrella spines.Ballengée’s Love Motel is an ongoing project that has been installed around the globe from tropical rain forests to inner city bus stops to Venetian waterways. The illuminated canvas creates a compelling microhabitat that’s ideal for insect breeding. Female moths release chemical pheromones to attract males and “paint” the canvas with interesting colors.
Don’t worry, the Love Motel doesn’t lure many mosquitoes, ticks or insects that bite. But if you are allergic to bees, make sure to bring your EpiPen. Also, please don’t wear the insect repellent DEET and bring a flashlight for the night hike.
For more information about these events and the festival go to http://sites.lafayette.edu/urbanartsfest/.
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4 comments:
i would love to hear feedback from anyone who attends this--it's sounds sort of weird and very cool all at the same time...
I love U....But...are you spelling neighbourhood correctly.....I will love U even if U mis-spell it....You and El could never do wrong in my eyes sweetheart...tunsie
your spelling is british ; )
ok, i wanna know--who saw the bugs?
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