One of the ways we make the Triplehorn Insect Collection available to the public is by providing guided tours of our facilities to school groups and classes. We welcome class visits from students of all ages, k-12, all the way to undergraduate and even some graduate level classes. The last class tour we did before the mandatory lockdown due to COVID-19 was on March 3, 2020 for CCAD‘s Biomedical Illustration, a class taught by the excellent Mandy Root-Thompson. Mandy and I first met in 2018 when she first came to visit with her class. Since then she brought many students to see the collection and gather inspiration from our specimens.

Meeting students and talking to them about the collection is always a pleasure, but art classes have a certain energy that I especially enjoy. It’s like the student’s excitement, talent, and creativity is flying around the room in electrifying burst. Watching the students examine the specimens, taking photos and/or making quick sketches, and later seeing how they portrait those same specimens using vastly different approaches, is always exciting and rewarding.

So today, after 2 1/2 years without having any class tours, it feels particularly good to, once again, welcome Mandy’s Natural Science Illustration class.

Delightful green illustration of a Bird Wing butterfly

Mandy sketching a beetle

Students used various techniques and materials in their illustrations

One of the many boxes of color pencils around the room

Illustration of a bird wing butterfly by okbayani

Student sketches of specimens in display drawers

Student sketch of a Comet moth

Beautiful illustrations by Greyson (astroidart)

Ariana’s sketch of a Blue Morpho butterfly

Photos by the author.

About the Author: Dr. Luciana Musetti is an Entomologist and Curator of the Triplehorn Insect Collection.