Natural History Museum :: Butterflies + Orcas

Ads for the Butterfly Pavilion at the Natural History Museum kept popping up online and all over town. For a while Tuesdays were the museum's day off, which meant I couldn't go there on my Tuesday day off. With summer the schedule switched, so two special exhibits at the NHM became my museum visit of the week.

Such serendipity because the Butterflies close this coming Sunday! As the poster announcement explains, visitors got 30 minutes with the lovely insects. The enclosure was extravagantly planted to attract and feed the twenty-some butterfly varieties in all life stages. Although there was no formal commentary, several staff members were there to answer questions.

After the Butterflies I ventured into Orcas: Our Shared Future; it was visually beautiful and scientifically detailed. For me the expressive orca-influenced art was the highlight. Most of the art was by indigenous artists – Pacific Northwest Coast First Nation peoples – and I didn't try for more than a few impressions. I also avoided displays that had a violence warning label.