Jen Rose

Jen Rose — returning guest artist

 

Jen Rose is an installation and environmental artist whose work blends art, ecology, and community engagement. Her projects range from intimate sculptures to large, grant-funded public installations. Although porcelain is her primary medium, she has worked with a wide range of materials throughout her career. Each project is designed to thoughtfully respond to its surroundings, creating spaces that invite connection with the natural world.

 

In 2020, responding to the climate crisis, Jen Rose developed unique outdoor porcelain sculptures designed for insects. These small porcelain cups hold water for thirsty bees and butterflies. The individual pieces are tailored to bee physiology. Using her expertise in glaze chemistry and her entomological studies of pollinator vision, Rose created an ultraviolet glaze that mimics how flowers communicate with pollinators. This glaze appears clear to humans but glows brightly to bees, birds, and butterflies. These small sculptures, called Bee Cups, have been highly successful, enabling her to build a business around this and other bee-related handmade objects. Bee Cups are sold across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Europe. Rose considers this her largest self-funded public artwork.

In late 2023, she was awarded a patent for the Bee Cup watering station and the ultraviolet glaze.

 

In addition to Bee Cups, Jen was awarded a major public art commission by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to create a 750-square-foot, ceiling-mounted installation inspired by the Blackland Prairie. Fabricated in powder-coated aluminum, the artwork replicates the prairie’s colors and textures, and travelers will be able to experience it in Terminal C beginning November 2026.

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bee-cups

Dallas, Texas