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MIDVALE — One of Jean-Michel Arrigona's top concerns this week is how to best frame a five-pound octopus. This is not the first slimy creature Arrigona has preserved in a fashion suited for an art gallery. Metallic beetles, flying lizards, miniature bats and breathtaking 10-inch butterflies cover the walls of his Midvale store, Natur.
"Each creature is a piece of art with its own amazing story," Arrigona said. "It’s not just about selling a bug, but presenting it as art.”
Since last May, Arrigona has turned his hobby into a full-time job. He opened Natur as a way of reinventing himself after 23 years making furniture.
"My whole life has been working with wood and my hands in an artistic way; so, combined with my love of nature and bugs, this is just a combination of everything I love."
He started framing insects 20 years ago after a trip where he bought his first framed insect.
"When I got home, I told my wife that buying it was not enough,” Arrigona said. “I needed to learn how to do it, but that was during a time you couldn't just get online and learn how to do something. So, I contacted entomologists and learned the posing process and started to develop relationships with insect gathers."
He now has suppliers in China, Australia, New Guinea and several other countries in South America. They ship bugs that arrive in small packages, flat and brittle. Arrigona then uses various methods to relax or restore the creatures to their original size, just like they looked when they were alive.
I never knew you could find beauty in a bat. It's really amazing,
–Carla Arrigona
He also has Jewel Beetle shell earrings from Thailand, bracelets made from cobra vertebra, and other unique items that bring a wide range of customers.
"I thought there would be a specific demographic that would be interested in what I'm doing, but there's not," Arrigona said. "There was a 70-year-old lady that came in last Friday. She had bought a butterfly collection years ago and wanted to add to her collection. Little kids love it here and I have quite a few returned customers who are creating phenomenal collections of insects on their walls."
Prices range from $7 for a small bug up to $1,800 for larger artwork that now expands beyond just bugs.
“When I first opened, I thought it was going to just be the insect world. But the longer I stay open, I have incorporated more such as bats and even soft coral. It seems natural to bring that all together,” Arrigona said.
Even though bugs aren’t for everyone, Arrigona wins over most everyone who visits his shop — even his wife, Carla.
“I never knew you could find beauty in a bat. It’s really amazing,” said Carla Arrigona. “Maybe I’ve never liked some of these things because I’ve never been able to see them up close, but suddenly here I am and it looks like a little wolf. I mean it’s scary and a little creepy, but it’s cool. Plus, there’s safety in it because you know they're dead.”
If you love art, nature, or both, take a stroll around Natur. Natur is located at 94 W. 7720 South, Salt Lake City.
Rachel Lewis is the communications director at Workers Compensation Fund and has a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Utah. Rachel has been contributing to KSL.com as a business writer since 2012.