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Bug exhibit has the right creep factor
I tagged along on a recent school field trip to see MOSI's new "Bugging Out" exhibit, which just crawled in for a three-month stay, and after I stopped twitching my nose and scratching my head at the sight of thousands of swarming bugs, I gained a new respect for nature's workhorses. You can read my review here.
There's a hands-on exhibit with real ladybugs in one case, a real ant farm in another and an art center to make bug relief pictures. There's also a lovely butterfly video special effect where butterfly images flutter around and land on a kid's shadow of his head or hand until he shakes them off. On weekends there is a bug chef, cooking up crickets and mealworms for, well, meals. And there's a race track ready for bug races.
Beyond the play area (that only seemed to interest our group for about 20 minutes) is the insect artistry of Jennifer Angus, right, who builds patterns and scenes with beautifully colored insects pinned directly to a wall in repeating patterns. This one impressed the adults the most, as they marveled how those bulbous cicadas we hate so much in the summer could be turned into a sunburst pattern worthy of a quilt.
What really made the trip worth it, in my view, was IMAX theater's nature documentary Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure hosted by Judi Dench. Dame Judi was an ideal voice to tell the up-close story of the life cycles of a praying mantis and a butterfly from their birth to their inevitable demise in the tropical rainforest of Borneo. The photography is stunning and I actually found myself caring deeply about the mantis.
The bug lessons had the right impact, it seems, because I noticed the kids walking carefully around the picnic tables at lunch, for fear of stepping on a bug. They begged to visit MOSI's butterfly house next, even before the raucous Kids in Charge room.
A MOSI day isn't cheap, however. (But they do have a $5 Day coming up May 1) Admission is $3 more than regular admission, and you get the "Bugging Out" exhibit and the IMAX movie for $23.95 for adults, seniors $21.95, kids 2-12 $19.95.
The exhibit runs through May 31, at the museum, 4801 E Fowler Ave. in Tampa; mosi.org. You can learn more about Angus' work at jenniferangus.com.
--Sharon Kennedy Wynne
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Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
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Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at 
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