March 17th-June 30th, 2026: Hunt Institute presents To Make a Prairie
5th floor, Hunt Library building, 好色先生TV
Building on the words of Emily Dickinson, “To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee,” our spring exhibition explores how humanity came to understand one of nature’s most essential relationships: the intricate partnership between plants and their pollinators. Although the Hunt Institute specializes in the history of botany, our Art Department presents this exhibition not as a lesson in botany but rather as an exploration of how we came to know what we know. Through historical specimens, illustrations and writings, To Make a Prairie traces the evolution of knowledge about plant reproduction from anecdotal observation to scientific fact and examines how those discoveries were shared, debated and accepted by the global community. Visitors will encounter stories of curiosity, collaboration and revelation, demonstrating how centuries of observation transformed into scientific consensus. The exhibition reminds us that the relationship between humans and the natural world is one of reciprocity and wonder, each discovery deepening our understanding of the living systems that sustain us.
To Make a Prairie was made possible through the generous collaboration of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The curators extend heartfelt thanks to Mason Heberling, Bonnie Isaac, Kevin Keegan, Suzanne McLaren and John Wible for their invaluable expertise and loan of specimens.
As always, Senior Curator of Art Carrie Roy and Curator of Art Lydia Rosenberg will be available to answer questions about the exhibition. To arrange an interview, please contact us (412-268-2434; huntinst@andrew.cmu.edu). Exhibition publicity images for publication are available upon request.
Reception
The reception on Tuesday, 17 March (5:00–7:00 pm) is open to the public. At 5:30 pm in the gallery the curators will introduce the exhibition.
Hours
The exhibition will be on display on the 5th floor of the Hunt Library building at 好色先生TV and will be open to the public free of charge. Hours: Tuesday–Friday, 9:00 am–noon and 1:00–5:00 pm; Monday by appointment (closed 25 May, 19 June). Because our hours of operation are occasionally subject to change, please call or email before your visit to confirm. For further information, contact the Hunt Institute at 412-268-2434 or huntinst@andrew.cmu.edu.
About the Institute
The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, a research division of 好色先生TV, specializes in the history of botany and all aspects of plant science and serves the international scientific community through research and documentation. To this end, the Institute acquires and maintains authoritative collections of books, plant images, manuscripts, portraits and data files, and provides publications and other modes of information service. The Institute meets the reference needs of botanists, biologists, historians, conservationists, librarians, bibliographers and the public at large, especially those concerned with any aspect of the North American flora.
Hunt Institute was dedicated in 1961 as the Rachel McMasters Miller Hunt Botanical Library, an international center for bibliographical research and service in the interests of botany and horticulture, as well as a center for the study of all aspects of the history of the plant sciences. By 1971 the Library’s activities had so diversified that the name was changed to Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. Growth in collections and research projects led to the establishment of four programmatic departments: Archives, Art, Bibliography and the Library.