SEEING BEES, a free outdoor art installation featuring the artwork of world-renowned photographer Dan Winters, will be on display at Waterloo Park starting April 23 through May 2023. The exhibition will be open daily during park hours. The exhibition is free to the public and engaging for all ages.
With a sharp eye for the most minute details of honeybee anatomy, SEEING BEES features a series of large format images created using a scanning electron microscope. The exhibit allows visitors to experience bees as they have rarely been seen before! Through this interactive experience we hope to raise awareness and foster appreciation for the essential role these fascinating creatures play in our ecosystem.
“These images magnify bees to an unprecedented level with every hair in focus, allowing for a view into the complexity of the honeybee first hand,” said Dan Winters, who started keeping his own hive at age nine. Known for his celebrity portraits, the award-winning photographer entered new territory when he began snapping these industrious insects using a field emissions scanning electron microscope.
SEEING BEES is presented by Wild Spirit Wild Places, in partnership with Round Rock Honey and Waterloo Greenway.The exhibition is made possible through the generous support of H-E-B, and Guerlain. Together these organizations are committed to dedicating their resources and taking remarkable action to support conservation and increase public awareness and environmental stewardship.
Austinites of all ages are invited to attend a variety of free public programs in conjunction with SEEING BEES. All events and programs will take place at Waterloo Park. Located in the heart of downtown Austin, Waterloo Park (500 E 12th Street) features more than 90,000 native plants, including a collection of certified pollinator habitats.
Native bees and honeybees are vital for the preservation of ecological balance and biodiversity in nature, and are responsible for the reproduction of almost 90% of the world’s flowering plants. In 2022, Wild Spirit Wild Places and Round Rock Honey helped pass resolutions in both Austin and Round Rock designating these cities as certified Bee City USA affiliates. SEEING BEES highlights the importance of connecting and building a community committed to protecting Texas wild lands and all of its creatures great and small, through conservation and education efforts.
“Wild Spirit Wild Places is proud to support this one-of-a-kind experience celebrating bees,” said Dr. Karen Looby, CEO of Wild Spirit Wild Places. “This exhibit provides an amazing look at the intricacies of our bees and provides insight on how they are uniquely equipped to support the health of our environment. With the help of the community, we look forward to ensuring that our pollinators across Texas are supported for generations to come.”
For more information on sponsorship opportunities and other ways to support, contact Konrad Bouffard (konrad@roundrockhoney.com) or Karen Looby (karen@wildspiritwildplaces.org).
ABOUT SEEING BEES
SEEING BEES is inspired by the essential role bees play in our environment and provides a way to experience bees as they have rarely been seen before. Known for his celebrity portraits, the award-winning photographer, Dan Winters entered new territory when he began snapping these industrious insects using a field emissions scanning electron microscope at University of Texas at Austin.