Rogue Specimen: The History and Art of Taxidermy shares specimens spanning from 400 B.C. in Egypt into the present day showing the evolution and artform of taxidermy. Combining history, art, and science, taxidermy can represent shared knowledge from multiple traditions and walks of life. Most people may only think of taxidermy as an educational model or a trophy, but there is so much more to the art form beyond its original functions. Having started in early Egypt, animals would be preserved alongside pharaohs in their tombs for the afterlife by being embalmed using oils. People worldwide have tanned skins of animals for clothing or bedding. But it was not until the 1600s that people began moving towards a more anatomical representation of the animals they hunted or wanted to preserve for research. Museums became places where people could see animals they had never seen before in a scientifically accurate diorama in the work of Carl Akeley, and researchers could study specimens without having to go into the field.

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   But when did things go Rogue? In the early 2000s, two Minneapolis-based artists, Scott Bibus and Sarina Brewer, realized the similarities in their work and coined the term "Rogue Taxidermy," which is "A genre of pop-surrealist art characterized by mixed media sculptures containing conventional taxidermy-related materials that are used in an unconventional manner". There have even been artists like Meret Oppenheim who were not considered taxidermists but engaged in Rogue Taxidermy before it was defined in the 1930s. The works in this exhibition shine a light on taxidermy's ability to preserve life after death, as well as the creativity of the artists and the messages that come with their work. While viewing the pieces on display, even though some of them may be unnatural or uncanny, remember that death is a natural process and art is often made as a response by those who survive, connecting our human and lived experiences.