Lake Villa District Library to host ‘The Serendipity of Bugs’

LINDENHURST – When Lake Villa District Library unveiled BUGS (an acronym for Best Unbelievably Great Summer) summer reading program last month, staff had no idea an insect artist and macro photographer was living in the community.

That all changed when Ken Bluma reached out to the library.

“Ken emailed me after learning about our summer reading program and asked if there would be any interest in showing his work,” library director Mick Jacobsen said in a news release. “We quickly agreed because it was too cool of an opportunity to pass up.”

Bluma has made it his passion to photograph the strange and unusual creatures rarely seen in northern Illinois and surrounding areas. Since starting the project in 2022, he has documented almost 1,000 species of insects.

“Observing insects has given me a great appreciation for the biodiversity of life all around us,” Bluma said in the release. “I hope my photos can bring some awareness to these creatures and create a spark of interest in them.”

The library’s exhibit features 12 posters of insects from Lake and McHenry counties in Illinois and Kenosha County in Wisconsin. The exhibit will run through July 31.