New large-scale exhibit at Morton Arboretum to feature ‘Vivid Creatures’

Artist rendering of deer sculpture, New large-scale exhibit at Morton Arboretum to feature ‘Vivid Creatures’
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Five new creatures that are larger than life will be taking up residence at The Morton Arboretum next May.

Sculptures of a white-tailed deer, dragonfly, sandhill crane, fox squirrel, and brittle button snail will be embedded throughout the arboretum, as part of its next large-scale exhibit.

‘Vivid Creatures: An encounter with colorful forest friends’

Artist rendering of squirrel sculpture - part of Vivid Creatures exhibit at Morton Arboretum

Image courtesy: The Morton Arboretum

Titled “Vivid Creatures: An encounter with colorful forest friends,” the exhibit features multicolored pieces made of steel and concrete, ranging in size from eight feet to 24 feet tall. Each creature represented is a part of the Illinois ecosystem.

“The roles that animals, plants and people play in supporting balanced ecosystems will be depicted in each piece,” said Amy Scott, the Arboretum’s head of exhibitions in a news release. “While the sculptures will be fun and interactive, they will also help the Arboretum educate people about how they contribute to healthy habitats in Illinois.”

The artists behind the giant works

The masterminds behind the display are Fez and Heather BeGaetz, artists from Portland Oregon who’ve partnered up both in life, and in their work. They’re known for their large-scale sculptures, with pieces that can be experienced “from afar, up close, underneath, on top, or inside,” according to their bios on the arboretum’s website.

Fez and Heather BeGaetz, artists behind Vivid Creatures exhibit at Morton Arboretum

Fez and Heather BeGaetz; Photo courtesy: The Morton Arboretum

The installation at The Morton Arboretum will be their largest to date.

“Our works are invitations to take sanctuary in wonder, and to be gathering places for people to enter worlds of imagination,” Heather said. “This series is about relationships. The pieces help people arrive in place and alter people’s way of interacting with that place, and then hopefully also with each other.”

The animals they chose for this particular piece came in part from their ties to the Illinois ecosystem, but also in one case, due to a special encounter.

“Heather was having a conversation with one of the Arboretum’s tree scientists and our daughter Calliope and I met a squirrel,” Fez said. “That’s why the squirrel made it into the line-up.”

Where will arboretum visitors be able to find the pieces?

Artist rendering of giant snail - part of Vivid Creatures exhibit at Morton Arboretum

Image courtesy: The Morton Arboretum

Four of the sculptures will be an easy walk from the Visitors Center, found along paved, accessible paths.

The brittle-button snail, however, will make its home on a hill overlooking I-88…a spot that many may remember from when a troll took up residence there for a previous installation in years past.

The Vivid Creatures installation will make its debut on May 17. Seeing it will be included with the price of admission to the arboretum.

The current large-scale exhibit, “Of the Earth,” is set to run through spring of 2025, according to the arboretum’s website.

Images courtesy: The Morton Arboretum

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