The Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) is excited to announce the schedule of events for Bug Weekend, a family-friendly experience inspired by Rachel Ruysch: Nature into Art, an exhibition on view right now at TMA. Bug Weekend, held Saturday, June 14, and Sunday, June 15, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., will feature art, science, and nature-themed fun for all ages.
“Insects are omnipresent in Ruysch’s paintings, from the earliest painting from 1681 until the very late ones,” said Robert Schindler, William Hutton Curator of European Art at TMA and one of the curators of Rachel Ruysch: Nature into Art. “Sometimes her paintings are virtually teeming with insect life, and repeatedly also with reptiles and amphibians. They were a critical subject matter for her which reflects the deep scholarly interest in insects and particularly their reproductive cycles during Ruysch's time.”
Attendees will have an opportunity to enter the whimsical world of bugs and creatures through Ruysch’s work and Bug Weekend’s activities. Bird’s Eye View Circus will premiere their exclusive performance “A Not So Still Life: Bugs in Motion,” The Imagination Station will showcase their Madagascar hissing cockroaches, and TMA Docents will host “Bugs in the Brush,” a tour highlighting the tiny creatures hidden within Ruysch’s vibrant floral paintings.
The full schedule of events is as follows:
Saturday, June 14
Family Center on the Move: Hands-on Art Activities for all Ages, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Monroe Street Terrace.
Bug Bento Box Pickup, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Libbey Court.
Bird’s Eye View: Circus Stilt Walkers, 11-11:25 a.m. and noon-12:35 p.m., Monroe Street Terrace.
Insect-Inspired Balloon Twister, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Monroe Street Terrace.
Toledo Zoo: Butterfly Learning Experiences, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Monroe Street Terrace.
Imagination Station: Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Monroe Street Terrace.
Face Painting by Bird’s Eye View Circus - available for the first 50 guests, 11 a.m.- 1p.m., Monroe Street Terrace.
Bugs in the Brush: A Ruysch Tour 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and 3:30-4:15 p.m., Levis Gallery Entrance.
A Not So Still Life: Bugs in Motion, 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monroe Street Terrace.
Sunday, June 15
Self-guided Nature Activities, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Green Building.
Insect-Inspired Balloon Twister, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Monroe Street Terrace.
Toledo Zoo: Butterfly Learning Experiences, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Monroe Street Terrace.
Imagination Station: Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Monroe Street Terrace.
Face Painting by Bird’s Eye View Circus - available for the first 50 guests, 11 a.m.- 1p.m., Monroe Street Terrace.
Bugs in the Brush: A Ruysch Tour, 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and 3:30-4:15 p.m., Levis Gallery Entrance.
“This is a program for everyone. It’s for children and families, and even if you’re not an art expert, you’re going to have a fun time,” said Duffee Maddox, the Exhibition Events Specialist at TMA. “The goal is to make art more approachable for families. We want to be a community center and a place for everyone.”
This all-ages event is free and open to the public. “Bugs in the Brush: A Ruysch Tour” requires prior registration, which can be done on the TMA website. Bug Bento boxes must be pre-ordered, which can be done on the TMA website.
For more information, call 419-255-8000 or visit toledomuseum.org/events.