Welcome to the future home of the striped hyena diorama! This exciting project is being built with the help of supporters from Indiegogo and fans of The Brain Scoop and the Field Museum. Today, we’re chatting with Aaron Delehanty, an artist at the Field Museum.
Hi, I’m Aaron Delehanty. I work in the replication shop at the Field Museum, where we create parts for exhibitions and sometimes dioramas. It’s amazing to be part of this project, and I’m thrilled to paint the mural for it.
The diorama is set in Somaliland, where these hyenas were originally found. We chose a specific time: August 6th, 1896, at 5:30 in the morning, known as civil twilight. This helps us create an accurate scene with the right lighting and star patterns.
We carefully chose the star patterns to match what the sky would have looked like in Somaliland at that time. This attention to detail helps make the diorama as realistic as possible. If Carl Akeley, a pioneer in diorama creation, were here, he’d likely be proud of our dedication to accuracy.
We’re preserving parts of the original taxidermy work by Carl Akeley, including a landform. The museum’s exhibitions department is documenting every step of the process, even using a GoPro to capture the painting of the scene. This project has excited both the museum community and people outside the museum.
Let’s take a look at the landscape in the diorama. The main feature is an Acacia tree with vultures perched on top, waiting for the hyenas to finish their meal. There are also boulders, known locally as extrusions, and plants called Sansevieria, or “mother-in-law’s tongue,” because of their sharp, pointy leaves.
We have a placeholder Sansevieria plant from a store, but we’ll create a more realistic version. The landscape is mostly desert, and since it’s early morning during the dry season, the air is clear, offering a great view of the horizon.
There’s also a half-painted tree called a dragon’s blood tree, named for its red sap that looks like blood when cut. In the sky, you can spot the constellation Orion and others as you turn.
In the foreground, you’ll see our hyenas and a bat-eared fox, which is just a stand-in for now. We worked with botanists, geologists, astronomers, and zoologists to ensure everything is accurate, from the plants and rocks to the stars and animals.
We started with a 1/10 scale model to get everything right. I painted the model to perfect the colors and create a seamless effect that draws viewers in. To avoid glare, I used a beeswax formula on the painting, except for the moon, which I left with a little sparkle.
Adding some glitter to the moon might be a fun idea, and I think Carl Akeley would have approved!
Imagine you are an artist like Aaron Delehanty. Use a shoebox to create your own diorama scene. Choose an animal and its habitat, and include details like plants, rocks, and even the time of day. Use materials like clay, paper, and paint to bring your scene to life. Share your diorama with the class and explain your choices.
Research the star patterns visible in Somaliland on August 6th, 1896, at 5:30 AM. Use a star chart or an online tool to identify constellations like Orion. Create a poster or digital presentation showing these constellations and explain how they relate to the diorama’s setting.
Learn about the history of taxidermy and its role in museums. Discuss with your classmates the ethical considerations and the importance of preserving historical works like those of Carl Akeley. Write a short essay on how modern techniques can improve or change the way we preserve history.
Investigate the ecosystem of Somaliland, focusing on the plants and animals mentioned in the diorama, such as the Acacia tree and Sansevieria. Create a report or presentation on how these species interact within their environment and the importance of each in the ecosystem.
Explore how artists like Aaron Delehanty collaborate with scientists to create accurate dioramas. Choose a scientific field (botany, geology, astronomy, or zoology) and research how it contributes to diorama creation. Present your findings in a creative format, such as a video or a skit, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary work.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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*theme*
Hey, we are here in the future home of the striped hyena diorama, which is currently being built thanks to Indiegogo supporters and fans of The Brain Scoop and the Field Museum. We’re here with Aaron Delehanty.
That’s right! My name is Aaron Delehanty, and I’m an artist here on staff at the Field Museum. I work in the replication shop, where we build a lot of components for the exhibitions and the occasional diorama. It’s pretty amazing that this is happening, and I’m thrilled and honored to be able to paint the mural for it.
*music*
So, it’s dusk in this beautiful area in Somaliland where these hyenas were originally found. In terms of time of day, is this accurate? What direction are we pointing in? You have some stars and things—how did you come up with that configuration?
We sure do! We looked very closely at when these hyenas were originally collected back in 1896 during the dry season. Based on that information and where they were in Somaliland, we chose August 6th, 1896, at 5:30 in the morning, which is known as civil twilight.
What about the star pattern? That wasn’t a trivial decision, as far as I understand.
Because it’s a night scene and we know the place, it was pretty easy for us to ensure that the constellations in the sky were totally accurate for this time in Somaliland. If Carl Akeley were here today, what do you think he would think about this?
He’d probably have a strong reaction! From what I’ve heard, he was quite a character. But I know he’d be proud because he devoted his entire existence to dioramas. When we think about wanting to retain accuracy, we have this huge landform here, and you didn’t build this.
No, this was part of the original taxidermy, and we’re trying to preserve as much of the original Carl Akeley taxidermy as we can, including this landform. I’m glad that you guys are keeping all of this and documenting how it’s happening. I think that’s one of the most exciting things about this: the exhibitions department has been detailing literally every step of this process. They’ve got a timelapse of a GoPro in here to paint the scene.
Yeah, the whole museum community is very excited about this project, and a lot of people outside the museum are thrilled too. We’re trying to document it in various ways to show off to people what their contributions have done. I’m pretty excited about it—it’s one of the coolest things I’ve been a part of.
Me too! And it wouldn’t have happened without The Brain Scoop, so I am thrilled for Emily and all of her fans because this has been fantastic.
*music*
So, Aaron, can you walk me through what’s happening in the landscape?
Sure! Our main feature is the Acacia tree, which we have here. On top of the Acacia tree, there are a couple of vultures waiting for the hyenas to finish up so they can have their piece. Then we have these boulders, which the locals call extrusions because they pop up in this unique landscape. Locals also refer to these plants as Sansevieria, but they call them “mother-in-law’s tongue” because they’re sharp and pointy.
That one’s fabricated, but we got it from a store as a placeholder. You’re going to make one that’s nicer than what the store can offer. Real Sansevieria are much sharper and thicker. They’re not as pretty as the store version.
And then it’s just sort of desert. Luckily, since it’s 5:30 in the morning and the dry season, there won’t be much dust in the air, so you get a very clear line of sight all the way to the horizon.
What about this tree over here?
It’s still half-painted. People call it a dragon’s blood tree because it has red sap, so if you cut it, it looks like it’s bleeding.
Are you going to put a big splash in it?
No, that would just be a nod to the botanist.
And up there, you can see Orion. If you keep turning, you’ll see other constellations.
Thanks! And then we have our hyenas in the foreground and our bat-eared fox. This is just a stand-in; it’s not going to be the one that we put in here.
I probably left some things out because it’s a very complicated story, but that’s the gist of it.
That’s pretty good, thanks!
One of my favorite things after the campaign closed was going into your studio upstairs and seeing this adorable model.
Yes, this was our first project on day one—a 1/10 scale model. This gave us the opportunity to start discussions with botanists to get the plants right, geologists to ensure the geology was correct, astronomers for the stars, and zoologists to make sure the animals are in their correct environment doing what they would be doing at this time of day.
Then I painted it again on this little model to get the colors right. The goal is to create a seamless effect so that people can get lost in it.
It can’t have any glare because that would reveal that it’s a painting. I ended up making a formula with beeswax to eliminate any sheen.
I didn’t put any beeswax in the moon because I wanted it to have a little sparkle.
You should consider adding some actual glitter to it; it’s not a bad idea!
I think Carl would have approved!
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This version maintains the essence of the conversation while removing any informal or potentially inappropriate language.
Diorama – A three-dimensional miniature or life-size scene in which figures, stuffed wildlife, or other objects are arranged in a naturalistic setting against a painted background. – The art class created a diorama of a rainforest, complete with model trees and animals.
Hyena – A carnivorous mammal of the family Hyaenidae, known for its scavenging habits and distinctive laugh-like vocalizations. – The museum’s exhibit on African wildlife featured a realistic sculpture of a hyena.
Landscape – A depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, especially where the main subject is a wide view. – The artist painted a beautiful landscape of the rolling hills and distant mountains.
Museum – A building or institution dedicated to the acquisition, conservation, study, exhibition, and educational interpretation of objects having scientific, historical, cultural, or artistic value. – Our class visited the art museum to learn about famous paintings and sculptures.
Taxidermy – The art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals with lifelike effect. – The biology teacher explained how taxidermy is used to preserve animals for educational displays.
Acacia – A genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the family Fabaceae, known for their thorny branches and small, fragrant flowers. – The acacia tree in the painting added a touch of authenticity to the African savanna scene.
Plants – Living organisms of the kingdom Plantae, typically characterized by their ability to perform photosynthesis and having cell walls made of cellulose. – The science project involved identifying different types of plants found in the local park.
Stars – Massive, luminous spheres of plasma held together by gravity, visible in the night sky as points of light. – The astronomy club created a mural showing the constellations and stars visible from our town.
Animals – Multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia, characterized by their ability to move, reproduce sexually, and consume organic material. – The biology textbook included detailed illustrations of various animals and their habitats.
Painting – The practice of applying pigment to a surface such as canvas, wood, or paper to create an image, design, or decoration. – The painting of the ocean at sunset was displayed prominently in the art gallery.
