Kim Smith Black Swallowtail Film Program at the Seaside Garden Club

Life Story of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly is a 45-minute narrated film that takes place in a garden and at the sea’s edge. Every stage of the butterfly’s life cycle is experienced in vibrant close-up, from conception to pupation to metamorphosis. The film is suitable for all ages so all can gain a deeper understanding of the symbiotic relationship between wildflowers and pollinators and the vital role they play in our ecosystem. From earliest recorded history the butterfly has represented life’s momentous transformations. None more so than black butterflies. In some cultures black butterflies are thought to foretell death, and in others the return of a spirit to the living world. Continuing today, butterflies are associated with spiritual rebirth and transformation. Their metamorphosis from caterpillar to adult, along with their graceful beauty and vibrant wing patterning, inspires poets and artists universally across time and cultures. The ephemeral grace of the butterfly not only inspires hope but also gives us courage to be active in the search for solutions. The all-too-fragile link of the butterfly to the health of the environment embodies the urgent need for positive change. Filmed in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Discussion and Q & A with the filmmaker to follow the film’s showing.

Kim Smith is a Gloucester based artist, filmmaker and landscape designer.  Kim Smith Designs is her landscape and interior design firm. Kim works in collaboration with clientele to create highly individualized, livable spaces, combining the classic and the modern, the elegant and the playful, and utilize eastern and western cultural influences to further develop and refine design projects. Her love of textiles, art, and furnishings drew her to interior design and passion for flowers and butterflies to garden design. She specialize in connecting the home to the home outside and in creating gardens for people and pollinators–butterflies, hummingbirds, songbirds, and bees–with a focus on native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and fragrant plants.

 The Seaside Garden Club meets the 2nd Tuesday of the Month (September through June) and are always looking for new members.  Make sure to sign up for your 2015/2016 Seaside Garden Club Membership – still on $25 for the entire season! Invite your friends and neighbors, all are welcome.  Guests $5. Visit our blog https://seasidegardenclub.wordpress.com/about/ or find us on Facebook!