It tells the story of the interdependence of raptors and insects, ranging from a golden eagle, great-horned owl and a red-tailed hawk to a clear-winged grasshopper, fiery skipper butterfly and figeater beetle.
Installed in December 2023, with finishing touches in 2024, the mural is the brainchild of UC Davis distinguished professor (now emerita) Diane Ullman and primarily the work of 80 UC Davis students in her Entomology 001, “Art, Science and the World of Insects.”
Ullman and colleague Gale Okumura, a Department of Design emerita lecturer, led the project. Other faculty, Raptor Center volunteers and staff, and members of the community, also contributed to the 3000-hour project.
Celebrates 11 Key Raptor Species and 84 Insect Species
The mural, measuring 22-feet wide and 8-feet in height, is comprised of more than 1300 handmade ceramic relief artworks, tiles and trim pieces. “The mural celebrates 11 key raptor species found in California and 84 insect species that are either parasites of these raptors or eaten by them,” said Ullman, an entomologist-artist who co-founded the UC Davis Art-Science Fusion Program with artist Donna Billick of Davis.
“The interdependence of birds and insects is striking in food chains around the globe," Ullman said. "As insects decline, bird populations are also damaged. When birds decline, some insect populations surge and can rise to damaging levels.” (See news story)
Says Julie Cotton, operations manager: "At Biodiversity Museum Day, our educational ambassador raptors will be viewable on exhibit, with some of them out 'on the glove' for up close encounters," said Julie Cotton, operations manager. "Our ambassador birds represent 12 different species of raptor that can be found in California, from the diminutive American Kestrel to the iconic Bald Eagle. Our staff and volunteers will be available to answer questions and share information about our local birds of prey."
Outstanding Teacher and Researcher
Ullman, a former chair of the entomology department and former associate dean for undergraduate academic programs, UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, is internationally acclaimed for her teaching and her research involving insect/virus/plant interactions and insect-transmitted pathogens.
A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2014) and the Entomological Society of America (2011), Ullman was named the 2014 recipient of the ESA National Excellence in Teaching Award. She received the UC Davis Academic Senate's Teaching Award for Undergraduate Students in 2022.
Under her direction, Ullman and her colleagues created dozens of art projects on the UC Davis campus and within the city of Davis. The mural, “The Secret Life of Vineyards,” with assistant professor Emily Meineke of the Department of Entomology and Nematology, was installed in August of 2023 at the Matthiasson Winery, Napa. (See news story)
For more information on UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day, a free and family friendly event, see the website. Capsule information on the participating museums or collections appears on the Jan. 31 Bug Squad blog.
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