Bees on a graphic

Bee Mural artist Matt Willey hosts Lunch & Learn to discuss the importance of bees

A well-known painter, Matt Willey, is hosting a Lunch & Learn at the site of his future honeybee mural in downtown Hendersonville for the first 250 people who register.

This free event takes place on Nov. 5 from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. and is hosted by Blue Ridge Community College, Certified Bee Campus; Bee City USA – Hendersonville; Hands On! Children’s Museum; and The Good of the Hive.

The mural is being painted on the side of the Hands On! Children’s Museum, making it visible to anyone driving by.

Willey is the founder of The Good of the Hive, an organization dedicated to painting 50,000 honey bees (the number in a healthy hive) in murals around the world. Using the bee and hive as a metaphor, Willey aims to activate and celebrate the power in human connection through art.

The event is entirely virtual, and through Zoom, Willey can tell viewers his story of how and why he started painting bees. He’ll also explain his mission to ignite radical curiosity for planetary health issues through art and storytelling. The Lunch & Learn is facilitated by Pam Pyms, an international podcast host, and participants will have the opportunity to ask questions at the end of the presentation.

“We are so excited to serve as a co-host for this Lunch & Learn,” stated Carol Ann Lydon, Blue Ridge Sustainability Committee chair. “The College is committed to spreading awareness about the importance of pollinators, especially honeybees, so Matt’s mural is going to be a massive statement piece that everyone will see driving through downtown every day. This is a great way to really get the word out that Hendersonville cares about bees.”

There is only enough space on the Zoom link for 250 registrants, so make sure you register online now at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BEEMURAL.

The Lunch & Learn will be hosted at the bee mural site weather permitting.

We hope you’ll “bee” part of this unique, interesting movement about an important subject.