By GINNY VAN ALYEA

When my children were very young we spent many hours at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. It was a wonderful destination for busy little people where we could engage their senses and put them in touch with nature in the middle of the city. A favorite spot in the museum was always the Butterfly Haven, where my daughter could stand still and just wait for a butterfly to land on her for a few moments. 

During a walk around Lincoln Park one morning last week I came across the Flight of Butterflies exhibition on the grounds near the Museum. On view through fall 2025 the exhibition stars nearly 2 dozen works around the museum and the surrounding park plus another 10 or so placed downtown. These works, like the natural creatures that inspired them, will not stay put for long. Soon they will migrate around the city.  A map on the museum's website shows where each work will end up so you can follow their journey. 

This city-wide exhibit merges nature, art, and storytelling as a call to action for wildlife conservation. Local artists adorn butterfly sculptures with original designs, expressing their unique connections to nature.

The list of artists who have collaborated on this exhibition, creating uniquely beautiful creatures that stay put for more than a moment, features many familiar Chicago names, from Candace Hunter, to Leonard Surajaya, Rubén Aguirre, Yvette Mayorga and CGN's spring 2024 cover artist Salvador Andrade Arévalo, as well as many others. 

The Nature Museum supports global conservation of tropical butterfly habitats through partnerships with butterfly farms through the Judy Istock Butterfly Haven. The museum says that this project amplifies their institutional mission to create positive connections between people and nature, and illuminates their vital conservation stories, and Flight of Butterflies brings the delight of art and nature to the public.

April 2024 – September 2025

Through July 2024: On Nature Museum Grounds + Michigan Avenue

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