The minute I read about The Good of the Hive project, I knew I wanted to feature it on my blog! Matt Willey is six years into an estimated 20-year-long project of hand painting 50,000 honey bees by way of murals and large-scale art installations all over the world. His travels thus far have led him to paint honey bees at The Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Burt’s Bees Global Headquarters, a Tony award-winning Broadway star’s dressing room, and countless other interesting places.
But this massive creative goal isn’t simply for the buzz of it – it’s an artistic representation of the idea that in order for us humans to see that we’re not mere individuals but rather all part of a larger global community we need to look no further than the buzzing striped creatures around us: honey bees.
“Bees never forget that they are part of something bigger than themselves… their hive is a part of them. What if we embodied this idea? What if we got curious about the world and each other again instead of intimidated by it? This is why I turn walls into windows – to remember that we are all connected… that separation is an illusion.”
Matt Willey, Artist
Take a look at some of the murals Matt Willey has finished so far:
Learn more about Matt Willey and The Good of the Hive at the organization/artist website.
