Gracie’s Butterflies: Raising Awareness of Their Need for Conservation

American artist Gracie, who goes by the name g makes things, preserves and pins ethically sourced butterflies. Her pieces are beautiful and fragile, decorative and yet educational. They allow her to raise awareness of the decline of the butterfly population in North America, sharing about why it is an urgent problem, due to the role that butterflies play in pollinating a large number of plants in North America. To further highlight the importance of butterflies for the ecosystem, g makes things will also repair butterfly carcasses with damaged leaves, adding gold leaves to put their beauty and being on a pedestal. This is why her pieces are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Life on Land.

g makes things began pinning butterflies in September 2022, when she found a perfectly intact red spotted admiral butterfly dead in her house. In 2023, she was diagnosed with late-stage Hodgkin's Lymphoma and thankfully has gone into remission. The experience gave her a whole new level of appreciation for butterflies, seeing them as symbols of rebirth and transformation for the better.

5 Bar Swordtail by g makes things. Image courtesy of g makes things’ website.

Unfortunately, the butterflies of North America have been undergoing a major population decline, one that they may not recover from unless urgent action is taken. A recent study published on May 15, 2024, by Northern Arizona University found that climate change, habitat loss and invasive species have been causing butterflies to lose their diversity across North America. It was found that 78 percent of the invertebrates that attract the attention of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are also different butterfly species. If left unattended, this will potentially create adverse effects on both the environment and human life. Butterflies are excellent pollinators for a large variety of wild flowers, including milkweeds. They are also crucial for cotton pollination, meaning most of the fabrics that are made into ready-to-wear everyday pieces rely heavily on their help.

Mini Wing Frame by g makes things. Image courtesy of g makes things’ website.

This is exactly why the work that g makes things does is important, as she cultivates a closeness between her audience and the butterflies of North America. She pins her butterflies with so much care, taking her time to share exactly what butterfly species they are, while also selling her pieces at an affordable price, ensuring that they are accessible for her audiences in spite of their economic backgrounds.

Doris Butterfly Gold Shadow Box by g makes things. Image courtesy of g makes things’ website.

When people purchase her pieces, they are reminded that butterflies are small marvels of the world, contributing greatly to the environment despite their size and fragile nature. As g makes things has affirmed, these animals have a lot to teach people, especially about resilience. Yet, in today’s climate, their longevity hangs in their, reliant on the small everyday choices made by people.

Common Jay Wing Frame by g makes things. Image courtesy of g makes things’ website.

Find out more about Gracie’s butterflies and their other pieces by checking their Instagram on @gmakesthingss.