Vivid Creatures: Bright New Sculptures Come To Morton Arboretum In May

briLISLE, IL — Portland artists Heather and Fez BeGaetz are set to debut their largest exhibition to date at Morton Arboretum when "Vivid Creatures: Colorful Sculptures as Tall as Trees" opens this May. The art installation will feature sculptures of snails, squirrels, dragonflies and other creatures that reach up to 23 feet in height.

“Our works are invitations to take sanctuary in wonder, and to be gathering places for people to enter worlds of imagination,” Heather BeGaetz said in a news release. “This series is about relationships. The pieces help people arrive in place and alter people’s way of interacting with that place, and then hopefully also with each other.”

Unlike previous sculpture installations that have spanned the arboretum's 1,700-acre swath of land, most of the Vivid Creatures sculptures will be near the visitor's center to allow more community members to experience them.

“Ensuring that this vibrant exhibition is physically accessible to all visitors is a top priority for us,” Amy Scott, who heads up exhibitions at Morton Arboretum, said in a news release.

Scott added, “By placing several sculptures along paved, ADA-compliant paths, we’ve created an inclusive experience that allows visitors of all abilities to engage with the art up close and enjoy the outdoor setting in a meaningful way.”

A colorful sculpture of a brittle button snail will overlook I-88 from a berm near the Morton Arboretum's Easter parking lots. The perch was also home to a giant wooden troll sculpture as part of the "Troll Hunt" exhibition in 2020 and 2021.

The sculptures in Vivid Creatures depict animals that are native to or migrate to Illinois.

“Heather was having a conversation with one of the Arboretum’s tree scientists, and our daughter Calliope and I met a squirrel,” Fez BeGaetz said. “That’s why the squirrel made it into the lineup.”

"Vivid Creatures: Colorful Sculptures as Tall as Trees" is set to open May 17.