Conversations from the Cullman Center, LIVE from NYPL: Bugging Out! Peter Kuper and friends celebrate INterSECTS

Event Details

Bug-lovers of all stripes discuss drawing, studying, and eating insects.


Featuring:

  • Peter Kuper, cartoonist & curator of INterSECTS
  • Dr. Jessica L. Ware, assistant curator in invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History
  • Dr. Elena Tartaglia, co-founder of National Moth Week & professor of Biology at Bergen Community College
  • Chef Joseph Yoon, founder of Brooklyn Bugs & Culinary Director for the Future of Food at SXSW

Inspired by The New York Public Library’s exhibition INterSECTS, curator and cartoonist Peter Kuper gathers his friends from the insect world to bring the exhibition to life for a special one-night-only presentation.

INterSECTS is an homage to the tiny, underappreciated creatures that touch everything people do and on which our very survival depends. The exhibition traces the evolution of insects over 400 million years and narrates their intersection with Homo sapiens right up to the present day.

Presented in partnership with Conversations from the Cullman Center.

To join in-person | Please be sure to register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open around 6 PM. For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form shortly before the program.

To join the livestream | A livestream of this event will be available on this NYPL event page. To receive an email reminder shortly in advance of the event, please be sure to register! If you encounter any issues, please join us on NYPL's YouTube channel.

 

   COVID PROTOCOLS FOR IN-PERSON LIVE FROM NYPL PROGRAMS   


The New York Public Library no longer mandates proof of vaccination at indoor public programs.

Patrons are strongly encouraged to wear a mask at LIVE from NYPL events.

If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or suspect you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, please stay home.

 

   ACCESSIBILITY NOTES   

In-Person
  • Assistive listening devices and/or hearing loops are available at the venue.
  • You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.
  • This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.
Livestream
  • Captions and a transcript will be provided.
  • Media used over the course of the conversation will be accompanied by alt text and/or audio description.
  • You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org or use this Gmail template.
 

   ABOUT THE SPEAKERS   


Peter Kuper’s illustrations and comics have appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Nation and MAD magazine. He has lectured around the world and has been teaching comics courses at Harvard University and The School of Visual Arts. He was the recipient of the 2020-21 Cullman Fellowship at The New York Public Library where he produced the work currently on display in the library's INterSECTS exhibition.

Dr. Jessica L. Ware is an associate curator in invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History. Dr. Ware’s research focuses on the evolution of behavioral and physiological adaptations in insects, with an emphasis on how these occur in Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) and Dictyoptera (termites, cockroaches, and mantises). She holds a BSc from the University of British Columbia in Canada, and a PhD from Rutgers, New Brunswick. Dr. Ware is the past president of the Worldwide Dragonfly Association and serves as current president of the Entomological Society of America. She was recently awarded a PECASE medal from the US government for her work on insect evolution.

Dr. Elena Tartaglia is a co-founder of National Moth Week and a professor of Biology at Bergen Community College in NJ. Elena earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers University and has worked in science outreach and environmental education since 2005. She is an expert on moths of the family Sphingidae, having studied various aspects of their ecology and behavior.

Chef Joseph Yoon founded Brooklyn Bugs in 2017 with the mission to normalize edible insects through delicious, creative, and educational programming. Brooklyn Bugs receives grants and funding from universities, museums, and institutions with their outreach and advocacy reaching millions of households through regular press and television appearances globally. Yoon views his participation in this global food movement as an extension of his commitment to his community.

 

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The New York Public Library's free services and resources are made possible thanks to the support of the Friends of the Library. Join this group of Library lovers and take advantage of special membership benefits, like invitations to members-only virtual events, discounts at the Library Shop, and more. Join now.

LIVE from NYPL is made possible by the continuing generosity of Celeste Bartos, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos, the Margaret and Herman Sokol Public Education Endowment Fund, and the support of Library patrons and friends.

Support for The New York Public Library’s Exhibitions Program has been provided by Celeste Bartos, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos Exhibitions Fund, Jonathan Altman, and Miriam and Ira D. Wallach.

The Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center is made possible by a generous endowment from Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman in honor of Brooke Russell Astor, with major support provided by Mrs. John L. Weinberg, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Estate of Charles J. Liebman, The von der Heyden Family Foundation, John and Constance Birkelund, and The Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, and with additional gifts from Helen and Roger Alcaly, The Rona Jaffe Foundation, The Arts and Letters Foundation Inc., William W. Karatz, Merilee and Roy Bostock, and Cullman Center Fellows.