Buzz Lab Teen Collective, a summer program for teens interested in art, science, and the environment, ran from 2014-2025. Over 11 years, Buzz Lab created incredible community engagement opportunities, advocated for a healthier environment for people and our non-human neighbors, and raised the voices of teens who wanted to make change.
We love Buzz Lab and every student, parent or guardian, community member, funder, and partner that supports the program. While the program has come to a close, we leave this page available for visitors to view and see the impact a generation of students made on our community.
If you are a teen or know one who may be interested in opportunities like Buzz Lab, please email us at visitorservices@plainsart.org and we will connect with you on ways to continue supporting these efforts and engaging with Plains Art Museum.
Thank You
Flight Without Fear
Acrylic paint and paper
June 2025
Buzz Lab Teen Collective Cohorts: Hailey, Ida, Eva, Violet B., Lanie, Luna, Hayeon, Naomi, Josie, Adeline, Rudlyne, Anjali, Fresia, Ansley, Piper, Violet S.
Contributors: Alatera McCann, Chelsea Steffes, Anna Jacobson and a fantastic group of community members and educators!
Using acrylic paint on pasted paper, the mural Flight Without Fear explores the dangers of city windows, which kill over a billion birds each year in the U.S. alone. This window painting serves a dual purpose, both saving birds by disrupting the deadly reflections in the window and educating the public on the importance of
bird-safe glass.
We included the Western Meadowlark, North Dakota’s state bird, whose prairie home has been nearly eliminated by our cities and farmlands. The white-throated sparrow has the highest death rate from low-rise windows in the country. The background is dotted to break the reflection, with glow-in-the-dark constellations placed among them to reference the stars migrating birds use to navigate.
Many bird species travel at night and are therefore distracted by city lights; it is no coincidence that a staggering majority of window strikes happen during migration season: the months of April, September, and October. Employing bold colors and a powerful composition, this mural is a call to take action to let the beautiful birds that soar through our skies truly fly
without fear.
