In a recent conversation with Jess Bush—widely known for her role as Christine Chapel on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds—I had the pleasure of exploring her creative journey beyond acting.
Bush, who also works as a visual artist under the name OneJessa, is currently showcasing her latest work, Bee Totem, an installation that pays homage to one of Earth’s most essential species: the honeybee. Located in the lobby of Two Manhattan West in Midtown Manhattan, the piece captivates viewers and sparks reflection on the fragile relationship between humanity and the natural world.
Bee Totem is more than just an art piece; it’s a deeply personal and meditative work for Bush, who spoke about the therapeutic aspects of creating art by hand. The installation features hundreds of meticulously placed elements that together give the impression of a swarm of bees floating in space, almost as if in flight. Despite its uniformity and precision, Bee Totem is entirely analog, crafted with no digital calculations or machinery. Each piece is a product of Bush’s hand and eye, responding intuitively to the previous placement. The result is an artwork that feels both alive and delicate, inviting viewers into a meditative space of their own.
Our conversation delved into the unique intersection between Bush’s work as an actor and her identity as an artist. While the two disciplines may seem worlds apart, they share an emotional thread. For Bush, acting and art both offer ways to tell stories and connect with an audience on a profound level. “When creating art you get to squirrel away until you are ready to share the work, but acting is about showing the art in process” Bush explained. Both practices require a sensitivity to detail and the ability to communicate something meaningful, whether through a character’s journey or through the symbolism and structure of an installation.
Bee Totem’s primary theme centers on the importance of bees within our ecosystem. Honeybees, often called the “poster child” of the climate crisis, are essential to pollinating crops and sustaining biodiversity across land-based ecosystems. However, due to environmental changes, pesticide use, and habitat loss, bee populations are increasingly threatened, signaling a larger ecological crisis. Through Bee Totem, Bush hopes to remind viewers of the crucial role bees play in our environment and the urgent need to rethink our relationship with nature.
The piece itself is designed to evolve throughout the day, interacting with the surrounding light, air movement, and sound waves created by viewers. This intentional interaction between the artwork and its surroundings echoes the relationship humans have with the environment. The honeybee, as Bush illustrates, represents the delicate balance in nature, a balance that is increasingly compromised by human activity.
Bush’s passion for advocating for a healthier planet is reflected in both her art and her voice within the American space industry, where she has contributed her thoughts on the role of art in promoting positive human consciousness. She explained that her art often aims to encourage people to question and reframe their understanding of everyday objects and symbols. With Bee Totem, she has created a symbolic “totem” that reminds us of our impact on the natural world and the interconnectedness of all life.
The installation offers a moment of calm and introspection in an often chaotic city, allowing passersby to pause and reflect on the natural beauty that sustains us all. By merging the boundaries between nature and technology, Bee Totem serves as a powerful reminder of the responsibility we share in preserving the balance of our planet.
Bee Totem will be on display at Two Manhattan West until November 15. Through this thoughtful, moving installation, Jess Bush urges us all to take a closer look at how we interact with nature—and how our choices today will shape the world of tomorrow.
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