“Bug World,” a popular touring exhibit, will open to the public at the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) on Feb. 14 and stay in Utah until September. The exhibit — NHMU’s 25th special exhibit — includes bug specimens, insect replicas, hands-on activities and interactive digital experiences.
The showcase will also feature pre-recorded interviews with local entomologists. NHMU Director of Exhibits Tim Lee said he wanted to host “Bug World” since it arrived in North America nearly a decade ago. “It really does invite you into an immersive environment where you’re a scale of an insect and see why they’re so amazing,” Lee said.
The exhibit, which was curated by Phil Sirvid at the Museum of New Zealand — also known as Te Papa Tongarewa — was first displayed in 2016. Wētā Workshop, a group of special effects creators involved in the movies “The Lord of the Rings” and “Avatar,” helped create the exhibit.
Installation process
The exhibit arrived at NHMU from Dallas in seven semi-trucks, where it was previously on display at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Lee said. Some of the crates weighed up to 3000 pounds.
According to Pat Stodart, touring exhibition manager at Te Papa, the installation crew — which includes both NHMU and Te Papa employees — put together steel structures that will form individual rooms visitors can explore within the exhibit.
The team hires a lighting specialist to hang and connect the lighting system, which is controlled virtually from New Zealand. This is particularly helpful when something malfunctions, Stodart said. They can help fix the issue without having to come back to the US.
Next, the team will set up the insect specimens, which are contained in a variety of tables. Stodart said his favorite is the Namib Desert beetle, which collects water by gathering condensation from its shell. The insect uses this technique to gather water for desert communities. Stodart said the exhibit will feature several insects that have led to innovative inventions.
The exhibit’s custom-built parts need to be maintained. The team recently replaced $100,000 worth of screens to account for new technologies that have emerged in the last decade. “Wētā [Workshop] … described it as ‘bespoke,’ we described it as ‘bloody annoying,’” Stodart said.
Stodart has helped set up and deconstruct the exhibit more than five different times. He is not bored doing it because of how varied the experiences are, and he likes having the opportunity to see new cities. “Every space is different, every museum is different, and even the [exhibit’s] layout is different,” he said.
Special exhibits’ importance
Hosting these special exhibits is important, Lee said, because they encourage people to continue visiting the museum. “It is a big driver for visitation and revenue,” he said. The museum polls members of the community about potential exhibits to determine which one is most relevant to the museum-goers.
The museum’s budget comes from three main sources, Lee told The Chronicle. These are state funding, ticket sales and sponsor donations. Donations are particularly important for renting special exhibits, which are expensive.
Due to the popularity of this exhibit, it was difficult for Lee to secure the exhibit. Generally, he schedules touring exhibits three to five years in advance. He was excited about this one in particular because NHMU has never hosted a special exhibit on bugs before. “We look for a diversity of exhibits that would attract our community,” he said.
Lee said he values exhibits that are outside of Utah’s natural and cultural history. “What’s so interesting about life and natural history is that you can always find a connection,” he said. “A story that’s halfway across the world is relevant to a story that is shared here in Utah.”
