Insects From Nature: The Art of Found Objects

The Sherman Library is pleased to present a new art show: “Insects From Nature: The Art of Found Objects” by Betsy Duckworth. The featured sculptures created from found objects are based on a combination of biology, fantasy and inspiration. They invite you to look more closely, to discover the wonder in pieces collected and repurposed. The artist's reception will be held on Friday, July 25, 2025 from 6 - 8pm. The show will be on display at the Sherman Library from July 25 through August 27, 2025 both at the Library and on their website: www.ShermanLibrary.org. An “Insect Inspired” Art Class let by Betsy Duckworth will be held on July 31, 7-8 pm. Registration for the class is required. Please register at shermanlibrary.org or call 860-354-2455.

Duckworth is both an artist, craftsperson, and writer, believing that everything has a story to tell. Found and repurposed items come with their own history, which is central to what they want to convey, the way they want to present themselves, or what they aspire to become.

Insects, with their quiet intricacies and overlooked beauty, offer the perfect vehicle.

Duckworth’s work celebrates impermanence, transformation, and the beauty of what is often discarded or ignored. The materials used have lived other lives. They have fallen from trees, been weathered by wind, or forgotten on the forest floor. Through them, she explores how meaning is layered and reimagined, and the ways in which there is a poetry to viewing things that have completed their life cycle.

Duckworth holds a BA in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania. She has studied art at the University of the Arts, Parsons School of Design, and the Penland School of Craft. She is the author of “Insects from Nature: The Art of Found Objects,” a How-to book of environmental insect sculpture for artists of all ages. For more information: www.BetsyDuckworth.com