Meet ‘Morph,’ The Monarch Butterfly Sculpture
April 4, 2025 · Uncategorized
Meet ‘Morph,’ The Monarch Butterfly Sculpture
Peeking out from behind the green foliage in Butterfly Pavilion’s Wings Over the Tropics exhibit, a new butterfly is pausing to rest its wings before starting its final journey. But this one stands out – it looks quite different from the butterflies usually seen at our zoo. Instead of delicate scales, this butterfly’s wings are made of metal grates, and its antennae are old railroad spikes. Meet ‘Morph,’ a stunning five-foot-tall monarch butterfly sculpture crafted from found objects and repurposed materials. Created by Grand Junction based artist, Ken Cable, Morph is a symbol for transformation, conservation, and renewal – messages that parallel the goals, conservation, restoration, legacies of both Butterfly Pavilion and our collaborator, the Downtown Denver Partnership.
Cable was inspired to create Morph from his early love and education about butterflies and science. While his artwork is featured throughout Colorado, Morph holds special significance as a representation of hope and renewal for both the natural world and Denver’s evolving urban landscape. Morph is especially significant to Butterfly Pavilion as the Monarch butterfly was placed on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s threatened species list just last year after a population decline of 80% in the past 20 years. Additionally, Butterfly Pavilion recently partnered with the Government of Mexico in leading a critical effort to safeguard monarchs and their migration by restoring their wintering ground in Mexico’s Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. Before migrating to its permanent home on the newly revitalized 16th Street Mall, Morph will be on display at Butterfly Pavilion through the summer of 2025. Guests can visit Morph and experience its message of sustainability and metamorphosis firsthand. *Please note that in adherence to Butterfly Pavilion’s commitment to conservation and sustainable husbandry, all the monarch butterflies found inside the Wings Over the Tropic exhibit are sustainably sourced from ethical butterfly farms and not taken from the wild.
Written by Bailey Craig
