- October 21, 2026
- By Sala Levin ’10
The Newman’s brocade moth sounds more like something your grandmother would try to keep out of her closet than the inspiration for a gallery-worthy work of art—but a new University of Maryland exhibition asks students to find beauty in this and other insects native to the state.
“Another Look, Another World,” which opened last week and is hosting an opening reception on Wednesday in the Herman Maril Gallery, celebrates six insects on the state’s list of rare, threatened and endangered animals. Funded by an Arts for All Spring 2026 ArtsAMP grant, the exhibition features about 55 sculptures, paintings, drawings and textiles that turn bugs into objects of beauty.
“The idea is to explore visual art as a pathway to environmental education,” said Madeline Potter ’19, M.S. ’23, a UMD Extension faculty specialist with the Home and Garden Information Center who focuses on insects. “We wanted to find new, hands-on ways to teach people about the world of insects. We have our lovely on-campus insect zoo, but not everyone feels comfortable around live arthropods.”
Potter and Lindsay Barranco M.S. ’24, coordinator of experiential learning at the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Institute of Applied Agriculture, conceived of the exhibition after reading about a similar show at the University of Nebraska. “That kind of opened up this world to me,” said Potter. “I was like, ‘Oh, we can do art and science in this way.’”
Shohag Sen '29 was inspired by the Northern oak hairstreak butterfly.
Alani Koeiman '29 modeled her piece after the puritan tiger beetle.
Lights flicker on and off in this piece inspired by the mysterious lantern firefly, created by Nikki Israel '27.
The pair teamed up with Mollye Bendell, assistant professor of art, to work on creating the call for submissions and, ultimately, assembling and judging the exhibition. (A first-prize winner receives $1,000, and a second-prize winner receives $750; they will be announced at the opening reception.)
Entrants could choose the Newman’s brocade moth, the golden-winged skimmer dragonfly, the mysterious lantern firefly, the black-and-gold bumblebee, the Northern oak hairstreak butterfly or the puritan tiger beetle as their muse. They read scientific profiles of the critters, written by Potter, Barranco, Ren Ledet ’29 and reviewed by Maryland State Entomologist Max Ferlauto Ph.D. ’24, and created art based on what they read.
Brianna Robinson ’28, a business major, made a replica of the golden-winged skimmer dragonfly using upcycled copper wire. When she first saw the dragonfly, it reminded her of a radio antenna. She first tried sourcing the material from WMUC, and when that failed, she headed to the A.V. Williams Building, where Brian Quinn, director of technical operations for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, gave her six bundles of wire and two pairs of pliers.
Robinson spent a few days bending the wire, then went to Terrapin Works and learned how to solder, and to the Instructional Fabrication Lab to work with clamps.
“I was there for about two weeks, to the point where people actually started recognizing me,” she said.
Two pieces incorporate elements that visitors can take home with them: denim patches featuring golden-winged skimmer dragonflies and miniature printed versions of a linocut print of a puritan tiger beetle.
Potter, Barranco and Bendell hope that the exhibition will get people thinking about insects in a new way. “Not everybody has a deep love and appreciation of insects,” said Barranco. “Most people see a bee and they’re afraid, or they see another insect and they’re repulsed. We hope people will be impacted by their beauty and realize things about them that they hadn’t realized before.”
Brianna Robinson '28 used leftover wire from the A.V. Williams Building to create her version of the golden-winged skimmer dragonfly. (Courtesy of Robinson)
“Another Look, Another World” is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays through Nov. 6 in the Herman Maril Gallery, 1309 Parren J. Mitchell Art-Sociology Building. An opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 21 will celebrate the 50-plus contributing artists. Light refreshments will be served, as will edible insect products, featured through a UMD Do Good Campus Fund-supported project. All are welcome.