Staging Nature: Dioramas, Museums, and our Changing Relationships to the Natural World

About this event

Join MacArthur Fellows Dr. Chris Beard and Dr. Laura Otis for a conversation on the evolving role of historical dioramas in museums. Registration is required.

This moment calls for creative courage. For 45 years, MacArthur Fellows have expanded the boundaries of possibility by questioning conventions, crossing disciplines, and driving collective progress.

Throughout 2026, the Foundation is celebrating the groundbreaking work of the Fellows and inspiring public dialogue through a series of nationwide events and conversations.

Join us for Staging Nature: Dioramas, Museums, and our Changing Relationships to the Natural World with Dr. Chris Beard and Dr. Laura Otis. In this panel discussion, Beard and Otis will explore how these immersive natural history displays have shaped the public's understandings of science, nature, and conservation from the 19th century to the present. Drawing on their distinct perspectives in evolutionary biology, museum studies, and the history of science and literature, they will consider how the newly renovated Panorama Gallery can engage contemporary audiences while connecting them to the long history of how we represent and understand the natural world.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend University of Kansas sponsored events. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this event, please contact Emily Ryan, thecommons@ku.edu .

Events in The Commons are offered in hybrid form by request while work to ensure compliance with NAGPRA is ongoing. For more information about the status of repatriation work, visit the KU Repatriation webpage .