COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Buzz?
WHAT’S THE
Since Kristen Shepherd moved
from Los Angeles to take over
the job as executive director
of the Museum of Fine Arts
St. Petersburg, she’s helped secure a
-
its, from the recent large-scale origami
installations to Tiffany designer Jean
Schlumberger’s jewels.
But none can rival the museum’s most
unique exhibit—European honey bees.
Eight colonies of honey bees live in
small white beehive boxes on the MFA’s
rooftop. They have a million-dollar view
downtown waterfront and boats bobbing
in the marina.
“It’s been a great adventure. We’ve
received an overwhelming positive
response,” says Shepherd. “We’re
happy to be hosting our pollinating
friends. Beekeeping is a very important
movement across the country.”
In keeping with St. Petersburg’s cre-
-
keeping is taking off in the Sunshine
City, both for the backyard hobbyist and
the many small commercial beekeepers
who own hives around the city. It’s also
an issue of sustainability as people step
up to do their part in helping the declining
bee population weather many challenges—
pests, disease, poisoning from
pesticide and stress due to destruction
of the plants on which they forage.
Julie Wilson, director of marketing
and communications, points out that
began assessing how best to update
the museum’s galleries, exhibits and
special events, she noticed the build-
would be the perfect home for a bee
apiary.
The bees moved in this past spring,
and now the museum is considering
adding an additional colony on the
in the lobby. Guests looking up could
see the bees at work, possibly with the
aid of a webcam, says Wilson.
Small business owners Matthew and
Allison Davis of Noble Nectar Apiaries
manage about 100 bee colonies in 12
different locations in the greater St.
Pete, including the Museum of Fine
Arts. They also specialize in rescuing
and relocating feral bees as an alternative
to extermination—exactly the
reason why they got into the bee busi-
The couple had been working for
St. Pete’s freeFall Theater Company;
Matthew as a master carpenter, and
Allison as a scene painter, when a wild
colony of bees was discovered in the
wall of the building where they were
working. “Maintenance wanted to get
out a way to move them instead,” says
ST. PETE EMBRACES
URBAN BEEKEEPING
Matt Davis of Noble Nectar Apiaries inspects the bees at the Museum of Fine Arts. Allison
Lynn Photography
16 'BURGLIFE | Living, Working and Playing in St. Petersburg, FL