The book Mushrooms of British Columbia has been joined by a sister production from the Royal BC Museum. A new museum travelling exhibit on “BC’s Marvellous Mushrooms” is now available for exhibitors to lease.
The exhibit is currently on display at the Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary. The installation features 16 large colour panels and 3 exhibit boxes. The panels were authored by Andy MacKinnon and Kem Luther. Much of the content in the panels is based on material from the Mushrooms of British Columbia, especially the book’s box essays.
The initial panel of the exhibit introduces the display, emphasizing the many ways that mushrooms are important to the people of BC.
Halfway through the exhibit, one of the panels takes the reader on a tour of the major mushroom groups.
Some views of the panels in the travelling exhibit.
Two of the exhibit boxes have lifesize models of 10 of BC’s best edible mushrooms. Artists at the BC Museum worked on these for several weeks to get them just right.
A third exhibit box shows the typical kit of a mushroom forager, including basket, knife, compass, maps, and a mushroom guide.
The models — including the bellybutton hedgehog and the blewit shown here — feel so lifelike that viewers may think they are the real thing.
The display will be at Swan Lake from now until the beginning of January. Everyone is invited to stop by to see this wonderful slice of BC life, Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Exhibitors (museums, libraries, etc.) intested in booking the exhibit should contact Kate Kerr at the Royal BC Museum by email or phone (250 882-2309). The Royal BC Museum has produced a flyer describing the travelling exhibit.