New Bern, NC – Tryon Palace will host a photography exhibit “Buzzing Bees, Blooms, and Garden Friends,” featuring macro images of bees in their native environment taken by Deana B Marion.
Deana B Marion notes: “This collection of macro images of bees in their native environment celebrates the art of nature. The colorful metal images showcase the features of the small natural world as photographed in blooming trees and flower gardens.
“The plight of pollinators, their value to our food supply, and the causes for their declining population are receiving national attention. Pollination by honey bees is responsible for one-third of our food products and over $15 billion in value to agricultural crops each year in the United States. Deana B understands the issues are extremely important and has witnessed the alarming decline in the bee population firsthand.
“Deana B’s macro photography commenced two decades ago with classes, workshops, and a mentorship focusing on enhancing the images to capture the intricate features of flowers with bees where she was encouraged to ‘get closer, get closer.’ For the last decade she has specialized in photographing bees on blooms in breathtaking detail, at a distance of several inches, and started beekeeping when the availability of models diminished.
“Bees are the focus of the unique body of images, all different but sharing a common theme, with attention to microscopic features, use of color and position of blooms. Images of colorful bees photographed in blooming trees and gardens provide the opportunity to appreciate the natural wonder and beauty, their interdependence and importance in pollination. Georgia O’Keeffe wrote that she magnified her flowers because ‘… nobody sees a flower – really – it is so small – we haven’t the time.” Deana B has used O’Keeffe’s premise and brought bees to life in their natural habitat.”
Deana B Marion’s images have been exhibited at The Athenaeum Gallery, State Arboretum of Virginia, The Salem Museum, and the Mountain Maryland Schwab Gallery, along with special events at Hokie BugFest, Schiele Museum of Natural History, and Norfolk Botanical Garden.
“Buzzing Bees, Blooms, and Garden Friends” will be in the North Carolina History Center, May 7 – July 14, and will be free to the public. No photography permitted. For more information, visit https://www.tryonpalace.org/events/buzzing-bees-blooms-and-garden-friends-exhibit.
Upcoming Events at Tryon Palace
First Friday: Civil War Medicine – May 3
Teacher Appreciation Day – May 4
Behind the Scenes: Conservation Lab Tour – May 7
Palace Contemporaries Launch Party – May 7
Garden Lecture Series: Best British Gardens: Ideas from Across the Pond – May 11
African American Lecture Series: The Maid Brigade – May 17
Submitted by: Regina A. Ochoa, Director of Public Affairs, Tryon Palace