Join us for this year's Edible Insect Initiative Art Exhibition. Through the creative efforts of ELI student Alex Carlin and Anthropology PhD candidate MacKenzie Wade, the exhibit will be up in the UCSB GlassBox Gallery during the week of April 1st to April 5th, with a reception event taking place on April 4th from 5:00PM to 7:30PM.
The exhibit will address the gaps between public education, knowledge of cultural histories, and environmental implications of insects as a food source. This exhibit will showcase a photography collection from documentary photographer Umberto Diecinove's project titled I N S C T S, which depicts the farming and consumption of insects as a part indigenous diets all around the world. Student and staff insect-art will also be on display. The reception event will bring together community members for a discussion panel and taste-testing opportunities of various Oaxacan-inspired insect dishes. The panel will feature experts such as Aly Moore of Bugible and Monica Martinez of Don Bugito. Insect dishes will be provided by Santa Barbara's very own La Calenda. By bringing this perspective to UCSB, they seek to highlight indigenous culture, dissolve negative preconceptions towards the role of insects in nutrition, explore the potential of insects in addressing climate impacts in the agriculture sector, and promote healing and community.
For more information, check out this article about the project in The Current.