Heather Beardsley: Tell the Bees

Heather Beardsley’s Tell the Bees is more than an exhibition; it’s a conversation. Lean in and whisper your hopes for a thriving environment to the native bees that keep our world green. Beardsley invites us to co-create a sustainable world, one bee at a time.

This journey began with silence. Beardsley became alarmed at the absence of biodiversity and native pollinators in our region. Her response? The creation of bee hotels, each one sculpted from local materials. They are sanctuaries that provide nesting materials to native pollinators. This fusion of form and function is a testament to the resonance between art and ecology.

The centerpiece for the exhibition is Conversations with Bees, an interactive sculpture. Here, the artist invites visitors to deliver messages through a hidden microphone to a nearby bee haven on Virginia MOCA grounds. This dialogue is a recognition of our profound interconnectedness with the natural world.

Beyond Conversations with Bees, a community art project takes root. Members of our community collaborated with Beardsley to create lenticular prints that showcase a powerful vision. These images juxtapose vintage images of Virginia Beach with one that includes a crucial element of a thriving ecosystem. Imagine if the planners had embraced biodiversity—what might the landscape look like today? Witnessing this transformation, community members become drawn into environmental stewardship, active participants in Beardsley’s vision for Virginia Beach. Tell the Bees isn’t an ending; it’s a call to action. Immerse yourself in the beauty and purpose of Beardsley’s artwork, and leave feeling empowered to make a difference in your own backyard.