Small Wonders: Insects in Focus–Nature’s Hidden Masterpieces
By MacKenzie Fulmer
It became clear when I passed through the doors at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center in Kansas City, Missouri, that this wasn’t a typical natural science display.
The entry hall is covered in stone and wood, and adorned with taxidermies of local wildlife. It feels much more like a cabin than a nature center. There’s a long hallway of windows that look out onto the lush walking trail and on the opposite wall I am confronted by large magnified images of insects that have existed for 350 million years.
This extraordinary exhibition brings an often overlooked world into sharp, almost surreal focus. Small Wonders: Insects in Focus, an ExhibitsUSA traveling exhibition with photographs by Tulsa-based artist Bob Sober, is a journey into the world of insects—tiny creatures made large that are essential to life on earth. These images invite viewers to slow down, lean in, and marvel at these miniature wonders through the use of cutting-edge technology and masterful photography. I met with Stacy Davis, the manager of the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, who gave me a tour.
Go on a tour of Small Wonders at the Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City
Seeing them magnified to human-scale didn’t make me feel afraid, like it usually would if I encountered the real deal in my garden. Instead I gazed in wonder at each colorful exoskeleton. Stacy shared that many of their visitors had expressed the same experience. As we walked through the hallway discussing our favorite specimens, I could hear the distinct sounds of birds, squirrels, and the rest of the ecosystem coming from outside.
From the ExhibitsUSA exhibition, Small Wonders: Insects in Focus. Bob Sober, Scarab Beetle (Heterorrhina macleayi) blue/green, 2015; digital image printed on aluminum, 36 x 24
inches; Courtesy of art’s IMPORTANT, LLC.
Thanks to the precision of a macro lens and a sophisticated rig that allows Bob to control every angle of the insect and camera’s position, every fine detail—from the intricacies of a lantern fly’s wing to each iridescent beetle leg—is revealed. These images highlight not just the form and function within the insect world, but also their inherent beauty.
With thousands of species inhabiting our backyards, insects may be small, but their impact on our ecosystem is monumental. They pollinate our plants, decompose organic matter, and provide a food source for countless animals.
So, whether you’re a lover of art, science, or maybe a bit entomophobic you’ll see them for what they are—intricate pieces of living art.