
-
Opening Reception
-
When: Tuesday, April 4, 6:00-7:00 pm
- Description:
-
Celebrate the opening of our new exhibit, Microsculpture: The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss, with cake for all plus glitter tattoos for kids.


-
-FULL- Just Bee-lieve: Painting a Bumblebee with Watercolors
-
When: Wednesday, April 5, 6:00-7:30 pm
- Description:
-
Madison artist, Emily Marie Watercolors, will teach you how to first sketch and then paint a bumblebee using watercolors. You will create and take home a 5' x 7" painting. All supplies will be provided and no experience is necessary.
Registration required.

-
-FULL- Smartphone Photography I
-
When: Monday, April 10, 6:00-8:00 pm
- Description:
-
Make great photographs, from start to finish, all in the palm of your hand. Tricia LaPointe, photographer and instructor at Wisconsin Union Wheelhouse Studios, will give an introduction to smartphone photography, including, shooting, editing via Snapseed, and uploading the final product. This beginner-friendly class will take your photography steps beyond Instagram and cover composing better images and editing them to make them visually striking.
Please have your phone batteries charged and know the password for your App Store.
Registration required.

-
Beneficial Backyard Bugs
-
When: -
- Description:
-
Wisconsin is home to 20,000+ insect species--the vast majority of which provide benefits to humans. Patrick Liesch, a statewide entomology specialist and director of the University of Wisconsin Insect Diagnostic Lab, will discuss the many ways in which insects help us out and also take a look at how common these beneficial creatures can be in our own area.
This program is made possible by UW-Madison Badger Talks.


-
Insects Up Close
-
When: Sunday, April 16, 1:30-2:15 pm
Ages 3 and up.
- Description:
-
The UW Insect Ambassadors will share amazing facts about insects and give you the chance to view (and hold!) a variety of bugs. Geared to ages 3 and up.
Insect Ambassadors is a graduate-student run outreach group through UW Madison Department of Entomology.

-
Bugs Galore
-
When: Monday, April 17, 4:00-5:00 pm
- Description:
-
Do bug crafts and activities, plus see real bugs with the UW Insect Ambassadors, a graduate-student run outreach group through UW Madison Department of Entomology! Geared to ages 6 – 11.

-
Early Reader Book Club: Bug Edition
-
When: Tuesday, April 18, 4:00-4:30 pm
- Description:
-
Library staff will read aloud longer books, lead a discussion about them, and we'll do a fun activity together. No pre-reading required.


-
Insects, Art and Advocacy
-
When: Tuesday, April 18, 6:30-7:30 pm
- Description:
-
Jennifer Angus, a visual artist, is a professor in the Design Studies department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is best known for creating elaborate installations in which real insects, albeit dead and dried, are pinned directly to the wall in order to create patterns which reference wallpaper.
Angus' work seeks to provoke a series of increasingly urgent questions in the age of climate change and argues that beyond clean air and water, insects are the key to the earth's well-being and our very survival. Angus will explore the ability of art to cultivate discourse on the importance of insects.

-
Tween Craft: Bug Bites
-
When: Wednesday, April 19, 6:00-6:45 pm
Ages 8-11.
- Description:
-
Create your own edible bug! We will provide candy, frosting, and other snack foods and you will design your own insect creation.
Registration required.

-
Tiny Bites for Health? On Eating Insects and the Quest for Sustainable Protein
-
When: Monday, April 24, 6:30-7:30 pm
- Description:
-
Have you ever eaten insects? Although not commonplace on American plates, insects are an appropriate and important food around the globe. Farming insects for food and feed offers opportunities to improve both human health and livelihoods with fewer environmental costs than conventional livestock. Questions remain regarding the real-world feasibility, benefits, and risks of insect agriculture, however.
Dr. Valerie Stull will explore various aspects of trends in insect consumption and highlight cutting-edge research out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison on related social, environmental and health impacts.


-
Toddler Art and Play: Bugs
-
When: Tuesday, April 25, 10:00-11:00 pm
- Description:
-
Join us at the library for messy process art and sensory play! Wear clothes that can get messy and drop in for some fun toddler activities. Ages 1-3.

-
Family Art: Make a Butterfly
-
When: Tuesday, April 25, 4:00-4:45 pm
- Description:
-
Kids and their caregivers can get creative together with a different art project each month. Art can be messy so dress appropriately.

-
Dragonflies of Southern Wisconsin
-
When: Wednesday, April 26, 6:30-7:30 pm
- Description:
-
Dragonflies are amazing creatures, their visual and flying abilities make them unique. Jessica Seiders, from the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society, will discuss the biology, behavior, and identification of some of our Wisconsin species. The talk will be followed by a walk around the Silent Street Pond to identify early spring arrivals.

For a full listing of events, view our Events Calendar. To request sign language interpretation or other accommodation for special needs, please contact the library at 608-845-7180 at least two weeks before the event.
