Even as a kid, David Rogers made BIG art. By the age of 13 he had learned to weld and built abstract steel-welded sculptures using salvaged car parts and other found scrap materials. As a teen he experimented with found forest materials. Using dry branches and rope-lashing techniques he assembled abstract structures. At this early stage, he steel-welded his first insect sculptures – a preview of BIG things to come. These pieces included a dragonfly and a housefly. To hone his skills in woodworking, Rogers apprenticed to a builder/restorer of sailboats and a cabinetmaker. At this time he also designed and built rustic furniture, using sticks and branches, which he called “Victorian Rustic.”

In 1990, Rogers returned to making BIG sculptures, including dinosaur-sized bugs. In 1993, Rogers developed a special four bug exhibit for the Dallas Arboretum and soon realized the excitement of insects sculpted on the scale of dinosaurs. This innovative theme led to the BIG BUGS exhibit – an exceptional opportunity for public gardens to educate visitors on the role of insects in our world.

“New to the exhibit this summer at Garden in the Woods is the biggest of the BIG BUGS, a 17’ X 17’ X 12’ Daddy Longlegs,” states David Rogers. “It represented a challenge in engineering and construction, and I am extremely pleased with the results. I chose the red cedar legs and willow pod body for durability and for the aesthetics.”  This is the only chance for visitors to experience the excitement of the BIG BUGS sculptures by David Rogers in New England.

Returning by popular demand, the exhibit has played to critical acclaim at botanic gardens across the United States, including Disney’s EPCOT, The New York Botanical Garden, and Chicago Botanic Garden among others.