Here at the Haven we want people to pay attention to bees.  One way to capture the attention of folks who might never have given them much thought is through public art; garden visitors are aware of our many projects created by the student artists of ENT001: Art, Science, and the World of Insects. These help to catch visitors' attention and brighten the garden in winter.

I live in Woodland, an agricultural community and Yolo County seat just north of Davis. Our agricultural heritage is celebrated in two local art projects that include bees.

The first, by artist Colleen Gnos, shows a farmer checking a field.  Most artists might have stopped with at that; I love the fact that the all-important bee was included.

This mural is on a warehouse just north of the city of Woodland. It connects to our agricultural heritage; I love the prominent bee and sunflower in the lower left.

Bee detail on the warehouse mural

The second is a utility box at a busy intersection. Anthony Padilla, the artist for this project that was funded by the Yolo Arts Council, works with spray paint, so I can forgive that some of the bee's details are not as precise as an entomologist might like.  These boxes are often tagged with graffiti but the painted ones in town have so far been left alone.

This utility box is at a busy intersection. City data indicates an average of over 74,000 vehicles per day passing through this intersection. What great publicity for bees!

Closeup view of the bee.

Here's a closeup of the California poppy on the box.

Another view of the utility box depicting the bee's heavy pollen load. Note the orange color, which is correct for California poppy.