Paul Manship was into natural habitats and sustainability long before our contemporary awareness of the critical responsibility we have as stewards of the land took hold. Rather than cultivating formal gardens throughout his property, Manship also maintained wilder environments in which he knew the native fireflies would thrive. He waited until the end of July to mow his meadow, recognizing that only then the fireflies could have the chance to go through their life cycles. Manship delighted in sharing the land with the fireflies — he named the property “STARFIELD,” signaling his pleasure of walking through a field of fireflies twinkling all around him just like the stars above.
Fireflies and Paul Manship loved Cape Ann because it was a “dark place.” Male fireflies have a better chance of finding their mate when it is dark and their flashing signal is not obscured by artificial light. In nocturnal darkness, males are able to signal to female fireflies, who will flash back at them so they know where they are perched in the high grass and bushes. Dark places are also ideal for stargazing, and Paul Manship, whose sculpture took its themes from the Greek mythical figures that populate the night sky, was an avid student of astronomy and revealed in the the celestial dance of constellations above his STARFIELD property.
To celebrate and contribute to this legacy of environmental stewardship, Manship Artists Residency hosts Firefly Fiesta every year in late June and early July during firefly season. In June 2025, Manship Artist and Wonderland Spectacle Co. co-founder Kari Percival presented “How to Walk Among the Stars,” a performance of music, dance, and a shadow puppet play that has been turned into a seventeen-minute play which you can watch here. We are grateful to New England Biolabs Foundation for supporting the inauguration of this program in honor of its later founder Donald Comb, and for continuing to fund this initiative in past years. Other sponsors include, Cape Ann Tree Service, Applied Materials Foundation, the Creative County Initiative of the Essex County Community Foundation, and Brace Cove Foundation.
We invite you to come learn with us as we develop awareness and adopt habits and take actions to protect and nurture the native species that share this land with us. Link to upcoming programs during firefly season in June and July.
Photo credits: Tsar Fedorsky, image of Science Intern Jason Ortiz and Dr. Chris Cratsley; Bing McGilvray, thumbnail for video.
