300 butterflies migrate to The Project Box

(Oklahoma City, OK) - Local artist and metalsmith Christie Hackler brings the second installation of her series A Migratory Experiment, in which she explores her personal journey through artwork inspired by the monarch butterfly, to The Project Box, 3003 Paseo, Oklahoma City. em/BARK opens on Friday, April 1 from 6 pm-10 pm, and runs through April 30.

em/BARK is the sequel to Hackler's hugely popular March 2015 installation FOR/give, which speckled the walls of The Project Box with hundreds of delicate metalwork monarchs. em/BARK moves beyond forgiveness of the past and release from pain, which was the focus of FOR/give, to a future of launching into the unknown, forging new paths, and welcoming the unrevealed with excitement.

The butterfly has held a sacred place in Hackler's life for twenty years. "In September of 1996, I had the most magical experience of driving through a monarch kaleidoscope after picking up my sons from school. It was one of those moments in life that could not be planned or recreated. I stopped the car, rolled down the windows, and allowed the butterflies to flutter about as my boys giggled with amazement," she says. 

The show serves to bring awareness to the declining monarch population and raise money for organizations supporting their revival. The monarch population has fallen from almost one billion to only 57 million in the last 20 years, because of pesticides, urban growth, excessive mowing, and climate change. If the butterfly disappears, mankind would lose one of its greatest sources of inspiration, an important symbol of rebirth, of a new tomorrow after a difficult today, of change as a pathway to freedom. 

Hackler will discuss the creation of the show at an artist talk at the gallery on Sunday, April 3 from 1 pm-3 pm. A closing reception will take place on Thursday, April 28 from 6 pm-8 pm. The Project Box is open from 11 am until 6 pm Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit theprojectboxokc.com.

The Project Box is an art gallery and community art space in the Paseo Arts District dedicated to promoting emerging artists and building community through experiential learning opportunities. For more information visit theprojectboxokc.com.

The Gayly - 3/19/2016 @ 8:06 a.m. CST