The Boulder Beetles was a performance art piece created by artist Emma Hardy that featured a troupe of five large-scale, wearable street puppets, each crafted to resemble larger-than-life beetles with intricate, moveable parts. The project was designed to bring together creative people from many disciplines including traditional artists (sculptures, painters, mold makers), plus performers, dancers, organizers, and engineers to create a light hearted and fun but also a serious work of art. Blending insect and human characteristics, these anthropomorphic puppets captivated and engaged audiences through storytelling, dance, and interactive movement.
Rooted in the ancient art of puppetry—a universally compelling medium for storytelling and imagination—The Boulder Beetles explored themes of diversity across both cultural and biological realms. All of the beetles had characteristics that represented Boulder and her sister cities: Yamagata, Japan; Dushanbe, Tajikistan; Kisumu, Kenya; Jalapa, Nicaragua; and Boulder, Colorado. The beetles’ exoskeletons and wings, stylized to suggest transformation and metamorphosis, served as canvases for these global symbols and vibrant, intercultural details.
Beetles were chosen for this project due to their striking diversity, mystique, and symbolic richness across cultures. From the luminescent beauty of their shells to the sacred symbolism of the Scarab Beetle in ancient Egypt, beetles evoked a sense of wonder and acceptance that resonated universally. While each puppet appeared distinctly beetle-like from afar, close encounters revealed human-like expressions and unique identities, bridging the gap between nature and humanity.
The Boulder Beetles was a spectacle of color, movement, and cultural storytelling, offering audiences a surprising, deeper look into the interconnectedness of Boulder and its Sister Cities.
