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The James R. Smail Natural History and Science Gallery was established in honor of James Smail, a beloved Biology professor and department chair, who died in 1993.  The mission of the Gallery is to communicate science in a primarily visual format.   All exhibits must meet three criteria.  The content must involve science, natural history, or mathematics.  The exhibit must have a strong educational component .  And, the exhibit must be visually striking.

Each year, a Department in the Science Division organizes an exhibit, which is mounted in the gallery for the entire academic year.  In many cases, the artist is invited and participates in the opening of an exhibit.  The gallery was created during the renovation of Macalester’s Science building during the mid-1990s.  With the generous help from alumni, friends, and family, a Smail Gallery endowment was created, which pays for the costs associated with the exhibits.

Fruits of Decay: Mushrooms of the Midwest

This was a photographic exhibit highlighting some of the more common mushrooms found in the upper midwest. The exhibit was divided into three categories based on the functions the mushrooms perform in the ecosystem; Mycorrhizal fungi, those forming symbiotic relationships with the rootlets of plants; Parasitic fungi, those that are destructive to their host; and saprophytic fungi which subsist on dead or decaying matter. Each of the photo labels indicated type (mycorrhizal, parasitic, or saprophytic), edibility, toxicity, and where appropriate, type of toxin, distinctive features, and season of fruiting.  This was a traveling exhibit provided by the Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota.    Curator:  Mark Davis, Biology.

Macalester College · 1600 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105  USA · 651-696-6000
Comments and questions to Mark Davis davis@macalester.edu