Be Here Now! Installation

Background

Bee Here Now is a completed pilot art installation focused on bees, flowering plants, and their vital interconnection with the human community in an urban environment.

Vision

Imagine walking through downtown Olympia, Washington, past City Hall and the Police Station. Across the street, a vibrant 50-foot-long by 10-foot-high mural catches your eye—its imagery alive with bees, honeycomb, and blooming flowers. You cross the street to read a nearby display sign.

There, you learn that on the roof of this building, two active beehives and a pollinator garden now thrive, alongside a rooftop mural visible from Olympia City Hall—and even from Google Maps. This installation marks the epicenter of a 4-mile radius urban ecology project.

The bees in these hives forage within that radius, collecting nectar and pollen from the surrounding plant community. As they return to the rooftop hives, they effectively concentrate a micro-sample of Olympia’s urban flora. These hives are being monitored and tested for pollen types as well as pollutants like herbicides and pesticides—providing real-time insight into the environmental health of the area.

Expansion Potential

Now complete, this prototype serves as a model for future rooftop installations atop City Halls across Washington State, and potentially, around the world.

Community Participation

As you explore nearby neighborhoods, you’ll notice metallic yard signs featuring original bee artwork and the phrase “Bee Here Now.” These signs represent homes participating in the project within the 4-mile zone.
Participation can include:

• Planting pollinator-friendly gardens

• Pledging to avoid herbicides and pesticides

• Providing financial sponsorship to support ongoing maintenance and testing

Ongoing Work

The Bee Here Now project is structured as a year-long initiative, including routine maintenance, hive health monitoring, data collection, and community outreach. With the successful completion of this prototype, the groundwork has been laid for broader impact—pollinator by pollinator, city by city.