HUMANITY VS. NATURE

She sees the invisible. Notices humans that most just walk by. Collaborates with a swarm of creatures many might deem a pest. It’s both a superpower and a call to action as artist Diane Feldpausch Tang brings those otherwise unseen beings to life in her paintings, sculpture, and other multimedia creations—including some that are done in collaboration with the bees on her west Lake Forest property. In what she calls “the manifestation of divine harmony in nature,” the mission of her work is to shine the light on the fragile state of the planet and its most vulnerable communities. That includes creatures great and small, though some of her earliest pieces were also inspired by the decay of the Detroit neighborhoods she once called home. The mother of two daughters, Michelle and Mariel, Tang’s life today is set in a home that backs up to Lake Forest Open Lands and Elawa Farm. She is surrounded by woods, gardens, and nature—including a lively colony of bees that she began collaborating with about two years ago. “I noticed they were very active and wanted a job. So, I asked my beekeeper if it would be OK if I put some of my art work in the hive to see what they’d do with it,” explains Tang. “I put beehive frames in and small objects, like pieces of glass and wire. I would assemble pieces in a collage and they’d build around it.” The intricate 3D creations that continue to emerge from this unlikely collaboration are both elegant and thought-provoking. “I have such respect for these little creatures,” she says. “And I love how they work as a community. Each bee has a role.” Watching this symbiosis inspired Tang to give herself a role—to create art that spreads awareness about the decline in the bee population and why these pollinators are so important. On July 16, some of her most captivating work— from portraits she created of unhoused people during the pandemic (asking their permission and paying them before taking the photographs she used as inspiration) to pieces created in the beehive—will be on display at The Gallery in Lake Forest. Owners of The Gallery, Cecilia Lanyon and husband/chef Dominic Zumpano, have a vision to pair the art in her “The Divinity of Bees and Humanity” exhibit with food, using honey as the theme. “They are going to create a menu inspired by the honey bees in unison with a social awareness campaign,” says Tang. “Similar to the funds from the homeless portraits going to help homeless organizations in the area, proceeds from the bee collaborations will go to a recommended organization that supports preserving habitats for them to continue to thrive.” For this summer’s show at The Gallery, the nonprofits receiving 100 percent of Tang’s artist’s commission will be Xerces Society for Invertebrates and PADS of Lake County. She hopes the community will come out to support the project and be inspired to see the invisible among us and the divine harmony in nature.

“The Divinity of Bees and Humanity” exhibit opens at 5 p.m. on July 16 at The Gallery in Lake Forest and will remain open through September 15. For more information, visit thegallerylf.com or dianetangfeldpausch.com.