Denver Museum of Nature and Science: A New Form of Research

     This is a blog post that I could not wait to share with you all because it has significantly impacted and changed the way in which I hope to gather research and inspiration for my work in the future. In light of our theory, history, and research assignment, I was granted an incredible opportunity this past Sunday to tag along with Professor Tom Mazzullo's drawing class from the Art Students League of Denver as they were allowed rare access behind the scenes in the zoology collection of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

These two guys were sitting on the cart
near the entrance of the collection.

     When collections manager, Jeff Stephenson, opened the door for the first time, it was like walking into an odd biological funhouse. Initially when we arrived, we were led into the entomology section of the lab. The museum is currently working on a catalogue of the various dung beetle species that are native to our state. When the museum does a field sweep to collect specimens, they often find upwards of 600 new species of bugs and insects with each trip. Jeff also talked with us about Colorado's population of spiders - including a species of camel spider that is slowly making its way into the Denver Metro area. I was really fascinated with the variety and diversity of the insects that were pinned within the collection.

Next, we got to really see the heart and soul of the collection - the mammalogy and ornithology departments. Remember when I said that this place was like a weird kind of fun house? This room is what makes that the case. On one shelf, you  might find a mounted beaver chewing on a log whilst standing in between a 30-foot long row of cabinets houses the entire variation of the front range's gopher population. You might find a duck skeleton or a weasel, or even a vulture protected by a thin sheet of translucent plastic. The place is absolutely amazing!

One of the things that really struck me was something that Jeff said about our own state's biodiversity. Scientifically, we know more about the wildlife of the rainforest than we know about species in Colorado. Essentially, our state is understudied and new discoveries - whether it be new species, interactions, or relationships - are literally being made every day in our lifetime. Colorado is also an interesting safe haven for a lot of species who are suffering from the ongoing effects of climate change. Due to our high altitude and its ability to remain relatively stable in the face of global warming, animals not native to the region are increasingly making their way into the state - animals such as tarantulas, bird species, and even armadillos.
     In light of the visit to the museum, I knew that I somehow had to find a way to ensure that I would be able to return and use some of these specimens toward my own work as an artist. On Tuesday this week, I met with Tim Weaver, who has connection down at the DMNS and has used it toward his own artwork - most notably with the extinct bird portraits that were shown inside the former Penrose Library on DU campus. Tim is currently working closely with me to see about setting up a connection for the future, so that I can go in and gather my own research, images, and subject matter. I'm really excited to see where this might go!