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MCAD's Bees
In 2014, two bee hives were added to the 3rd floor rooftop at MCAD, thanks to the efforts of MCAD Printshop Director Diana Eicher. From 2014-2022 they were maintained by the University of Minnesota Bee Squad's Hive to Bottle Program. In summer 2016, the two colonies of bees were divided into two more. As the roof at MCAD could not hold the new colonies, the University of Minnesota Bee Squad allowed the hives to be placed at the Bee Vets Apiary at the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport. MCAD MFA student Joel Terry decorated the hives with a special spray-painted design. Decorating the hives helps the bees determine to which hive they need to return.In 2022, all of the MCAD beehives were moved off campus to one of the Bee Squad's apiaries. The MCAD Bee Club still gets honey from the hives. To promote awareness about Colony Collapse Disorder and a greater understanding of human dependence on healthy pollinator communities, the MCAD Printshop and the MCAD Bee Club host on-campus honey tastings, workshops, and even print Valentines.
Printshop staff and the Bee Club fill and label the honey jars. All sales of MCAD honey and related merchandise directly support the ongoing maintenance of these hives. Honey can be purchased at the MCAD Art Cellar.
Learn more about the University of Minnesota Bee Squad, go to beelab.umn.edu.
If you are interested in the MCAD Bee Club, please stop by a Bee Club meeting, to see what the Bee Club is all about! No obligation to join! For more details, please email the Bee Club at beeclub@mcad.edu