President Packer's artistic inspiration was a desire to beautify his surroundings. At a young age he was fascinated by wildlife and birds. His only art training was a few art classes in high school. Later in life he continued to ask questions about various techniques from artistic friends.
The room in which his artwork will be displayed has been designed to make you feel as if you are sitting in President Packer's home. The beautiful pinewood work is very similar to that of the Packer home.
President Packer has maintained a long term relationship with the museum. For years he would borrow specimens from ornithologist Clayton White to aid in his artistic inspiration. Recently, a donor gave money to the university in honor of President Packer. It was decided that the most appropriate place to place his artwork was at the Bean Life Science Museum on permanent display.
Ken Packer, exhibits designer here at the Bean Museum, hopes people will be interested in seeing nature through President Packer's eyes. It is President Packer's love of nature that helped him understand the creation of the earth and that Jesus Christ is the creator of the world. He hopes people can come away appreciating the world, be inspired to create themselves, and have a feeling that we have a stewardship for the earth.This feeling of stewardship is illustrated by the scripture chosen to go over the north hallway entrance.
Job 12:7 "But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee"
