Arachnids exhibit at Chicago museum aims to shift perception of spiders, other creatures
CHICAGO - Some people may find them creepy, crawly, and scary.
But the folks at Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park say spiders get a bad rap.
‘See them up close and appreciate them’
Dig deeper:
The museum hopes a new exhibit "The Art and Science of Arachnids," will help shift public perception.
"All of the specimens that we have in here are just so interesting and beautiful," said Jeff Wolfthal, Program Development Specialist at the Nature Museum. "And to be able to see them up close and appreciate them… We hope that makes people curious and less judgmental about these fascinating animals."
Spiders are actually big chickens, said Cat Chorney, lead at Little Ray’s Exhibitions, an exotic animal rescue organization and exhibition partner.
"Their first defense is usually trying to make themselves look as small as possible or to run away," said Chorney. "After that, they may try to convince you their larger by waving their arms around in the air."
Chroney showed how a spider may initially react when feeling threatened.
"See how she kicked?" Chorney asked as she picked up a tarantula. "What she’s doing is kicking those little barbed hairs up on her back. They do all of that before even thinking about biting most of the time."
The interactive exhibit explores artwork, cultural connections, showcases live animals and highlights the significance of scorpions, tarantulas, vinegarroons and other arachnids.
"We want to highlight the way that arachnids have impacted human culture and civilization throughout history, through art, weaving, and dance," said Wolfthal.
What you can do:
Visitors can also test their web-weaving skills, learn the secrets of silk production, dive into macro photography and step into the spider lab for hands on discoveries
The Nature Museum is open to the public seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.