PEGGY
NOTEBAERT NATURE MUSEUM - LINCOLN PARK
Jill Riddell, Exhibit Director,of Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, had
originally
commissioned Sharon to create nature themed windows for
Riddell’s Hyde Park home, brought Sharon onboard to produce
work for the “Mysteries of the Marsh” exhibit. The
permanent display was being re-imagined by Exhibit Designer, Anna
Lehner. During initial meetings, Jill expressed an interest in
Sharon’s stained glass and sculptural artworks. In the end,
both skill sets were employed to create a collection of stunning pieces
that merge a two dimensional window of a marsh habitat with a
delicately modeled bronze sculpture of three dragonflies alighting upon
fiddlehead ferns.
The dragonflies within the stained glass and the
bronze, depict several scientifically correct species including the
Hines Emerald dragonfly. This is the only endangered dragonfly of the
United States whose habitat is rapidly disappearing. The stained glass
window depicts specific aquatic botanic species such as wild iris,
pickerelweed, arrowroot, (yellow pond thing) Sharon’s
contribution also includes bronze Blanding’s turtles that
perch upon a log in front of a large tank of living
Blanding’s turtles. Ornamental handles of a dragonfly, Giant
American Water beetle and a Chimney Crayfish were created by Sharon to
enhance educational door panel exhibits.