EXHIBITION REVIEW: Bee Exhibit at the Museum of Food and Agriculture

BY: MEAGHAN DALBY

So, since this post is about exhibition reviews – I thought I might actually review an exhibit this week. Shocking, I know. Last month, I went to see what would end up being one of my favourite exhibits. The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum is located just outside of downtown Ottawa, and is geared towards children and families. There is a petting zoo, live demonstrations, lots of activities, and exhibition spaces. While I was there, one exhibition was about bees. First of all, it was called “Taking Care of Beesness.” Enough said, amiright?

The exhibit was simply laid out, in a linear fashion around the room. It was also very accessible both physically and intellectually. Again, it was obviously focused on kids as an audience (perhaps that’s why I liked it… big kid at heart?). They used the honeycomb shaped plaques (as seen in the picture below) to provide us with information, which added to the atmosphere. There was a great mix of information provided through traditional reading, touch screens, and self-discovery “hands on” activities.

The picture above shows a glimpse in to some of the information visitors are given. They cover topics like how honey is made, how people have used it for thousands of years, why the bee is important to the ecosystem, how bees are different from wasps and yellow jackets, and different kinds of bees found in a hive. It’s simply and aesthetically laid out, with options to explore further on the touch screen.

It was by no means the most complex exhibit I have ever seen, but the Agriculture and Food Museum effectively presented the information to their audience in an entertaining and informative way. The information was not overwhelming, and there was a simple path to follow. What I liked was how they used their interactive activities to reinforce the information presented. For example, after reading about the different kinds of bees in a hive, the visitor comes across a double sided plexiglass case, which has housed a live bee colony. Visitors are encouraged to identify the queen bee, the worker bees, and the drone bees.

I actually learned something on my trip to the Agriculture and Food Museum (not always the case in museums). It was clear that kids and parents alike were enjoying the exhibit. I had to wait a good 15 minutes to take the above picture because there were little faces pressed against the glass. 

Taking Care of Beesness presented what it promised: information about the lives of bees, and their impact in our world as humans. At a time when the importance of bees in the ecosystem has been somewhat prominent in the news, this exhibit was poignant, informative, and effective.  It also reminded me that sometimes simple is better.  They didn't spend thousands of dollars on fancy displays, but used alternative methods of communicating the information.

What do you think? Have you seen any exhibits which are simple, yet effective? Do you think having a live bee colony is an effective learning tool or potentially cruel to the bees?