Bees in My Bonnet
On Friday 24th March Green&Blue were delighted to attend the private view of the new exhibition by Cornish legend, artist and campaigner Kurt Jackson. 'Bees (and the Odd Wasp) in My Bonnet' is described as a unique presentation of contemporary art and science and arrives at the Jackson Foundation Gallery in St Just, near St Ives, from its initial prestigious opening at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History (where it attracted over 100,000 visitors).
The exhibition will now run to the 19th August 2017.
Upstairs at the gallery the charity space has been given over to two bee friendly charities, B4 - Bring Back Black Bees and Friends of the Earth, who lead many of the bee campaigns in the UK. Friends of the Earth very kindly asked us to curate a display of bee bricks to demonstrate ways in which loss of habitat can be addressed. Visitors will find a large central display wall made completely from bee bricks. It's fantastic to sit within what will be a mecca for bee and art lovers alike. Cornwall Wildlife Trust are also working with the Jackson Foundation and will be leading bee walks, amongst other things.
The private view was attended by some of the great and the good of the bee world, including Dave Timms from Friends of the earth, who gave an impassioned and inspiring 'call to action' speech on behalf of the bees and Michael Eavis who is the patron of B4. On theme drinks were supplied by Skinners brewery in the form of Hops and Honey - very apt!
If you can then make sure you go along and visit the exhibition before it ends. Kurt Jacksons' artwork perfectly captures the movement, beauty and humour of bees and we're certain you'll come out inspired to do more and think more about these beautiful winged creatures, on whom we rely for so much.
Find out more about the Jackson Foundation and opening hours here.
See more images of the opening night on the Jackson Foundation Facebook page here.
Images courtesy of Friends of the Earth.