Bugs...Outside the Box
February 2 through May 12

The world of insects is all around us. Cleverly camouflaged or flamboyant in their displays, their diminutive size frequently keeps them from attracting our attention. Important to science and necessary in the natural world, the unexpected artistry and beauty of insects can usually only be fully appreciated under a magnifying glass.

Bugs: Outside the Box presents a selection of greatly enlarged insect sculptures, each showcasing the beauty hidden within the (mini) beasts of the natural world. Butterflies with five-foot wingspans and beetles, four feet long, which can stare you square in the eye, are only two examples of the unique sculptures on display in this unique exhibition. Using powerful magnification and actual specimens of each animal, artist Lorenzo Possenti painstakingly creates each sculpture with remarkable accuracy.

The primary focus of this exhibition is the beauty in the details that exist beyond our everyday powers of observation. Visit the Sam Noble Museum for Bugs...Outside the Box, on display Feb. 2 through May. 12.

Beautiful Beasts: The Unseen life of Oklahoma Spiders and Insects
February 2 through September 8

Imagine traveling on safari through a land of bizarre and alien beasts, a world of predators and prey. Who would think that this place exists right outside your back door?

Oklahoma photographer Thomas Shahan will take you there.Beautiful Beasts presents a series of Shahan’s immense color macro photographs alongside descriptions of where and how the photographs were made. The exhibit chronicles the photographer’s tireless search for arthropods, a venture that has made him into an outspoken advocate for education about the role they play in our lives.

Shahan’s up-close views of Oklahoma spiders and insects promise to forever change how visitors think and feel about these creatures. For more information about the exhibit, visit www.snomnh.ou.edu. Sponsored by a grant from the Norman Arts Council.