Calla Beers

BA in Art & Design

Extirpated Organisms of Michigan

Extirpated Organisms of Michigan is a modernized adaptation of naturalist folio books from the 19th century. Depicting the shifting relationships between living creatures and their rapidly changing environments, this work considers our role as humans in fashioning each facet of our world. This collection explores each species with the vital curiosity of early scientists, as preservation of knowledge must inspire the physical preservation of organisms themselves.

The pages explore Michigan’s altered ecosystems as the landscape evolves, wrought with human influence. Each organism represented in the collection currently faces possibly insurmountable challenges to their survival as a species within our state. Through shifts in land use, the introduction of invasive species, rising temperatures, and more, each species is imperiled. The charcoal with which each specimen is drawn reflects the instability of the ecosystems we have created, urging consideration for each turn of a page that may distort the drawing within.

Setophaga kirtlandii: Kirkland’s Warbler, 2020
Carbon pencil on vellum
14” x17”
Information about this species can be found on page 1 of the “Extirpation Text” document.

Nerodia erythogaster neglecta: Copperbelly Water Snake, 2020
Carbon pencil on vellum
14” x17”
Information about this species can be found on page 2 of the “Extirpation Text” document.

Brychius hungerfordi: Hungerford’s Crawling Beetle, 2020
Carbon pencil on vellum
14” x17”
Information about this species can be found on page 3 of the “Extirpation Text” document.

Somatochlora hineana: Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly, 2020
Carbon pencil on vellum
14” x17”
Information about this species can be found on page 4 of the “Extirpation Text” document.

Acipenser fulvecens: Lake Sturgeon, 2020
Carbon pencil on vellum
14” x17”
Information about this species can be found on page 5 of the “Extirpation Text” document.

Ambystoma opacum: Marbled Salamander, 2020
Carbon pencil on vellum
14” x17”
Information about this species can be found on page 6 of the “Extirpation Text” document.

Iris lacustrus: Dwarf Lake Iris, 2020
Carbon pencil on vellum
14” x17”
Information about this species can be found on page 7 of the “Extirpation Text” document.

Nicrophorus americanus: American Burying Beetle, 2020
Carbon pencil on vellum
14” x17”
Information about this species can be found on page 8 of the “Extirpation Text” document.

Myotis sodalis: Indiana Bat, 2020
Carbon pencil on vellum
14” x17”
Information about this species can be found on page 9 of the “Extirpation Text” document.

Learn more about each species represented and their home within Michigan.