Really Small Museum | Cristell Vargas

Cristell Vargas Pollinator Disco Party Mixed Media TEMPORARY ART INSTALLATION November Exhibition, 2026. Located in The Austin Nature & Science Center, 2389 Stratford Drive, Austin, TX 78746 ***Mark your calendar for a special MEET & GREET with CRISTELL VARGAS: NOVEMBER 8th 12-2pm am at the installation (North Pond Trail)*** Welcome to Pollinator Disco Party, a miniature celebration inspired by the garden at Austin's Mosaic Workshop, where quiet lunch breaks spent watching native bees and butterflies sparked this installation. Their graceful movement from flower to flower transformed an ordinary garden into nature's own dance floor. Inside, you'll discover handcrafted pollinators based on species found within 100 miles of Austin, including the remarkable Leafcutter Bee (Megachile spp.), a gentle native bee known for cutting perfect circles from leaves to build nests for her young. The tiny disco comes alive with shimmering disco balls, oversized native wildflowers, colorful lighting, and a miniature recreation of the Mosaic Workshop garden, complete with mosaic pathways inspired by the place where this idea was born. Although playful and whimsical, Pollinator Disco Party celebrates the vital role native pollinators play in supporting healthy ecosystems, gardens, and food production. I hope this installation encourages visitors of all ages to slow down, observe the extraordinary beauty of these often-overlooked creatures, and leave inspired to protect the habitats that allow them to thrive. The Really Small Museum is brought to you by artist & curator: JulietWhitsett.com | @juliet_whitsett_art | @ReallySmallMuseum_atx This project is supported in part by an Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music, & Entertainment.