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ABOUT

Beginning in 1994, David Rogers Big Bugs exhibit has been touring botanical gardens, arboreta, and nature centers throughout the United States. The exhibit has been tremendously successful in helping the host institution expand its outreach and enhance its role as a community resource.

This exciting and visually stunning sculpture exhibit draws swarms of new visitors, builds membership and creates new opportunities in educational programming. The Big Bugs enduring success is demonstrated in both the statistics and repeat engagements.  

The Big Bugs exhibit has been successful in its role of helping to achieve the host institutions goals framed within their mission statements.  These statements outline the importance of the preservation and conservation of the natural world.

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David Harry Grozinsky- Rogers

b. 1960, Long Island, NY

A sculptor of enormous vision, David designs and constructs his sculptures from natural materials. Using standing dead trees, dried branches, and green saplings, he creates large insects or other commissions for public gardens, arboreta, nature centers, natural history and art museums across the United States.

 

Inspired by his sensitivity, connection, and sense of play with the natural world, David creates the most engaging environment for children of all ages to explore.

They are big. They are awesome. They are amazing...

 

David Rogers’ Big Bugs calls attention to some of nature’s smallest and most incredible creatures.  These little animals help our world in big ways and David Rogers invites you to explore their mysteries.


David uses 3 different techniques to build his sculptures; branch bending, dried branch assembly and whole log carving. Some of the bugs are highly polished, resembling fine furniture, others are fashioned from bent samplings, and some are a combination of techniques. Each has a personality of its own, and are all wonderful in a unique way.

They are amazing and their impact is greater than we could possibly imagine.

David Rogers initially created this series of sculptures to begin to tell the story of some of the animals that play the crucial role of Pollination. Some of these common pollinators, such as bees, are in decline.

Research shows that colony collapse could be caused by several reasons, loss of habitat, pesticides, infections spread by mites, malnutrition, and a combination of other factors. Scientists have yet to determine a singular cause. This exhibit calls attention to our hidden gardeners in a big way.

 

These sculptures debuted at Disney's Epoct International Flower and Garden show. The choice of subjects depicted here are some of the most well known as well as some that aren't. Some insects have been labeled as "bad bugs".  This connotation of good vs bad is incorrect.  Some are more beneficial versus less beneficial or "pests".  But all play their role in the balance of the ecosystem.  Educators tell us that without the arthropod kingdom, we would not exist. 

Exhibit History

*represents multiple engagements

1994

Dallas Arboretum, Dallas, TX ** (Debut of The " Big Bugs")

1995

Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA ***** 

New York Botanical Gardens, Bronx, NY ****

1996

CallawayGardens, Pine Mountain, GA **

1997

MountsBotanical Gardens,WestPalmBeach,FL Disney Epcot, Orlando, FL*****

Wildflower Center, Austin, TX **

New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY ****

1998

DisneyEpcot, Orlando, FL*****

Chicago BotanicalGarden, Glencoe, IL ** 

Cox Arboretum, Dayton, OH **

New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY ****

1999

Red Butte Botanical Garden, Salt Lake City, UT ** 

Disney Epcot, Orlando, FL *****

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, VA 

New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY **** 

Denver Botanical Garden, Denver, CO**

2000

U.S. National Arboretum, Washington, D.C.

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara, CA 

Los Angeles Arboretum, Arcadia, CA

Disney Epcot, Orlando, FL *****

2001

Phipps Conservatory, Pittsburgh, PADisney Epcot,Orlando, FL ***** 

Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO ***

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens,Nashville, TN **

Tyler Arboretum, Media, PA **

Marie Selby Garden, Sarasota, FL **

2002

Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ** 

Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia,PA ** 

Chicago Botanical Garden, Glencoe, IL ** 

Butterfly House, Chesterfield, MO

2003

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska, MN 

Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA ** 

Cox Arboretum, Dayton, OH **

2004 (10thAnniversary)

Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA ** 

Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO ***

Dallas Arboretum, Dallas TX** 

Red Butte Botanical Garden, Salt Lake City, UT **

2005

McKee Gardens, Vero Beach, FL

Fernwood Gardens, Niles, MI

Holden Arboretum, Kirtland, OH

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Belmont, NC

2006

Fontenelle NatureCenter, Bellevue, NB **

Naples Botanical Garden, Naples, FL 

Hershey Gardens, Hershey, PA

Wildflower Center, Austin, TX **

2007

Denver Botanical Gardens, Denver, CO ** 

Inniswood Gardens, Westerville, OH 

Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, GA

2008

Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL **

Western Kentucky Botanical Garden,Owensboro, KY **

Garden in the Woods, Framingham,MA**

2009

Iowa Lakeside Lab, Lake Okoboji, IA 

Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA ***** 

Huntsville Botanical Garden, Huntsville, AL

San Antonio Botanical Garden, San Antonio,TX

2010

Powell Gardens, Kingsville, MO *** 

Fontenelle Nature Center, Bellevue, NB **

2011

Glenwood Gardens, Cincinnati, OH 

Reiman Gardens, Ames, IA

Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, AZ

Cape Fear Botanical Garden, Fayetteville, NC

2012

Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont, CA

2013(20thAnniversary)

Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia, PA** 

Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL **

United States Botanical Garden, Washington D.C. 

WesternKentuckyBotanicalGarden,Owensboro,KY **

Levis Commons, Perrysburg,OH

2014

Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, Nashville, TN **

Heritage Museum & Gardens, Sandwich, MA

2015

Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, OH

2016

Leu Gardens, Orlando, FL

Shangri La Botanical Gardens, Orange, TX

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska, MN

2017

Tyler Arboretum, Media, PA **

Memphis Botanic Garden, Memphis, TN

2018

Kingwood Gardens, Mansfield, OH

2019

Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta, GA

San Antonio Botanical Garden, San Antonio, TX**

2020

Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Winchester, VA

2021

Flamingo Gardens, Davie, Fl.

Green Animals, Newport RI

2022

BRIT/Fort Worth Botanical Garden, Fort Worth, Tx

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, VA**

Dow Gardens, Midland MI

2023

Klehm Arboretum & Garden, Rockford, IL

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