Call to Artists: Common Grounds

 

Common Grounds

A Call to Artists from the Birds of Vermont Museum
in recognition of 100 years of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and its conservation consequences

Birds link us.  We need the same things: food, water, air, places to live. We humans have sometimes used laws to protect those needs we have in common. In 1918, the US Congress put into place the Migratory Bird Treaty Act—one of the first laws setting limits on what we could and could not do specifically with respect to migratory birds. Since then, we’ve asked new questions, discovered new ramifications, and come to new understandings about what the work of conservation entails. In order for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to be successful, people have to work together across geographic, political, socioeconomic, and ecological boundaries. We need to find—or create—common ground. What does that look like?

We seek bird-oriented artworks that involve themes of commonality, conservation, migration, habitat, protection, and/or coordination among peoples, species, places, and/or time.

The show runs from May 1 to October 31 in the Museum’s multi-purpose room, halls, and foyer. Most art will be hung on the walls. We have shelf space for smaller three-dimensional works and some ceiling space if your work is suitable there. Feel free to visit and scope out the options.

Art in any media, by new or returning artists, of any age, may be considered.  Artists are invited to submit up to 3 works, by sending no more than three (3) .jpgs showing your work to museum@birdsofvermont.org. Please put “Submission for Common Grounds art show” in the email subject. If you do not have email, you may send up to three prints to the Museum, attention Common Grounds art show. Please include your contact information and a description of work (media, artwork size, when made, etc.).

Entries are due by Tuesday, March 27, 2018.

In choosing works for a show, we strive to integrate diversity of work into a cohesive whole. Museum staff will select pieces by April 5 and will let artists know by email if possible. The Museum asks for permission to reproduce images of the selected works in print and online as part of publicity for the exhibit; if you prefer partial or cropped images for this, or have preferred images, please tell us or supply them.

Selected pieces should arrive at the Museum on or before April 20 and be ready to hang (if applicable). Artists are responsible for shipping or drop-off/pick-up. Pick-up should occur by November 30, 2018.

Artists who show their work here are invited to sell originals, prints, and/or cards through us on consignment. Details are available on request. We are always thrilled to arrange artist workshops at the Museum with our exhibitors. Please tell us if you are interested in this.

Please call or email Kir Talmage or Allison Gergely with any questions. We can be reached at 802 434-2167 or museum@birdsofvermont.org.

Art Review: ‘Birding by the Numbers,’ Birds of Vermont Museum

Most art shows can be viewed without particular attention to their settings, but ‘Birding by the Numbers’ is inseparable from its locale. The Birds of Vermont Museum in Huntington organized the community art exhibit to celebrate its 30th anniversary. …Numbers are the key to ornithology… The artists’ responses to this intersection of ideas range from literal to literary.

Source: Art Review: ‘Birding by the Numbers,’ Birds of Vermont Museum

<!– BACKUP : PDF:  Art Review: Birding by the Numbers : Seven Days 2017-08-16 –>

 

Call to Artists: Birding By the Numbers

Birding by the Numbers

A Call to Artists from the Birds of Vermont Museum in celebration of our 30^th Anniversary

We at the Museum like to say we are “where natural history meets art.” But flip through the files of time while birding in the last 30 years… what would ornithology be without math? What new facts and figures about feathered phenomena do you most appreciate? Join us as we play with birds and numbers!

We seek bird-focused art that incorporates a feeling for number with artistic expression. We are open to any media. Let your art—from imaginary to irrational, with birds silly and significant—populate our creative space!

Here is a tiny fraction of funky factoids to tickle your fancy and perhaps illustrate what we mean:

• There are over 25,000 feathers on a Tundra Swan, some 80% of them on its head and neck alone. (from “Waterfowl Feathers” at Ducks Unlimited)
• It takes four and twenty blackbirds to make a pie suitable for a king. (Mother Goose, with more info at Wikipedia)
• Barred Owls are home-bodies. Of 158 banded Barred Owls, none had moved more than 6 miles. (from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
• Bob Spear spent 1,230 hours carving and painting the Wild Turkey: that’s almost 31 weeks of a full-time job (assuming no coffee breaks) (and Bob didn’t drink coffee).

The show runs from May 1 to October 31 in the Museum’s multi-purpose room, halls, and foyer. Most art will be hung on the walls. We have shelf space for three-dimensional works and some ceiling space if your work is suitable there. Feel free to visit and scope out the options! In choosing works for a show, we strive to integrate variety into a harmonious whole.

Both new and returning artists are invited to submit up to 3 works, by sending no more than three (3) .jpgs showing your work to museum@birdsofvermont.org. Please put “Submission for Birding by the Numbers” in the email subject. If you do not have email, you may send up to three prints to the Museum, attention Birding by the Numbers. Please include your contact information and a description of work (media, artwork size, when made, etc.).

Entries are due by Tuesday, March 21, 2017.

Museum staff will select pieces by March 29 and will let artists know by email if possible. The Museum asks for permission to reproduce images of the selected works in print and online as part of publicity for the exhibit; if you prefer partial or cropped images for this, or have preferred images, please tell us or supply them.

Selected pieces should arrive at the Museum during the first weeks of April and be ready to hang (if applicable). Artists are responsible for shipping, or drop-off/pick-up. Pick-up should occur by November 30, 2017.

Artists who show their work here are invited to sell originals, prints, and/or cards through us on consignment. Details are available on request.

We are always thrilled to arrange artist workshops at the Museum with our exhibitors. Please tell us if you are interested in this.

Please call or email Kir Talmage or Allison Gergely with any questions. We can be reached at 802 434-2167 or museum@birdsofvermont.org.

Need more inspiration? We found some — in numerals and nonsense, tesselation and tattoos, geometry and gaggles. Thanks to Google image search and some collaging from our staff:

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It’s the last month for “In Layers”

It’s the last month to discover and share our 2016 community art show, “In Layers: the Art of the Egg” https://www.facebook.com/events/305884369763841/ Visit soon!

Artists Gathering & Reception for “In Layers: The Art of the Egg”

Visit art and artists at “In Layers” Reception: Sept 10, 3-6pm.

(“51 Birds” © C V Talmage, used by permission)

http://ow.ly/69JM303i0vt http://ow.ly/i/ma2R8

“In Layers: The Art of the Egg ”: Call to Artists from the Birds of Vermont Museum

Be part of our 2016 eggs-hibition! Do you create? Do you have a thing for birds, science, or conservation? We do too.

The Birds of Vermont Museum seeks art and craft that focus on the beauty, biology, and essence of eggs for our 2016 season Art Exhibit, In Layers: The Art of the Egg. We’re hoping to hatch feelings of passion, delight, commitment, and discovery with this art (watch for additional activities and displays about oology during the season as well).

The show runs from May 1 to October 31 in the Museum’s multi-purpose room, halls, and foyer. Most art will be hung on the walls. We have shelf space for three-dimensional works and some ceiling space if your work is suitable there. Feel free to visit and scope out the options! We are open to all sorts of media and we strive, in choosing works, for a harmonious variety.

Season’s Tweetings

Season’s Tweetings from the Birds of Vermont Museum

Art of Birds, clockwise from upper left: needle-felted Owls (Susi Ryan’s class); Flood Birds (carved by David Tuttle from trees washed out during the 2013 flood); Eagle quilt (Carol McDowell for the Birds of a Fiber exhibit); Northern Parula (wood carving by Bob Spear); Scarlet Tanager ornaments (carved by Dick Allen and painted by Kir Talmage); Wren (carving by Elizabeth Spinney)

The Art and Artists of “Birds of A Fiber” (2015 Community Art Exhibit)

In selecting art for the Birds of a Fiber exhibit, we hoped to allow the variety of media to hint at the diversity of birds. We had hooked rugs and traditional penny rugs, photographs rendered in cross-stitch, crocheted and fabric sculptures, needle felted miniatures, multimedia collages, paper sculpture, and quilts.

We hope you had a chance to see some of these works for yourself! There is not enough room to show all the works here in our mini slideshow. However, all the artists are listed below.

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• Ann Wetzel, penny rug
• Carol McDowell, quilted art
• Dawn Littlepage, textile collage
• Elizabeth Spinney, crochet
• Erin Talmage, recycled paper
• Eve Gagne, cross stitch
• Kir Talmage, needle felted wool
• Marya Lowe, quilted art
• Morgan Barnes, needle felted wool
• Robin Hadden, rug hooking
• Katherine Guttman, mixed media (fiber, glass, and metal)
• Nancy Tomczak, mixed media (fiber and watercolor)
• Girl Quest participants, fiber birds/mixed media

 

Progress on the Museum entrance way: cover plants

After laying in rock and grading the slope just-so, the stream bank crew put down netting to reduce erosion, and it was seeded with a one-year “cover crop”. We’ll replant perennials and more next spring.

Erosion netting in place, September 26

The cover crop sprouted quite quickly, which encouraged and delighted us.

Can you see the little sprouts? This is about October 8. Click to zoom in, perhaps.

Yesterday’s and this morning’s light snow doesn’t seem to have bothered the little plants at all!

 

Protecting the stream bank with netting and plants, October 18. Click to see these larger (it’s worth it!)

Progress on the Museum entrance way: rock on!

What’s going on? Lots! Click for a close-up.

During the past week, we’ve watched a good bit of earthmoving, repairing and preparing the stream, its slopes, and the stream bed between the Museum parking lot and the Museum entrance. The preparation will permit us to install an ADA-compliant and future-flood-resistant path and bridge,  as well as a riparian slope “garden”. While this is going on, please use the rear entrance (facing the road). We look forward to seeing you!

This collage of photos was created by Elizabeth Spinney, copyright © 2015 and used by permission.

This work is being funded by donors like you, the Vermont Department of Transportation though a Vermont Better Back Roads grant, and the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Ecosystems Restoration Program.  These are both matching grants so we still need your help to fully fund these grants.  Donate to help! We happily accept donations online through JustGive, NetworkForGood, and PayPal. You can also call (802) 434-2167 with your credit card info, or send a check in any amount at any time to

Birds of Vermont Museum
900 Sherman Hollow Road
Huntington, Vermont 05462

 

Thank you to Grover Engineering, the State of Vermont (VTRANS and DEC), and John Scott Excavating. Let us thank you!

Bridges to Birds: where we’ve been

How it All Began in July 2013: Flash flooding at the Museum
Plus photos.
Last Year’s Update: Bridges to Birds: Connecting to People
And the Treehouse phase: A New Point of View (from our Treehouse)
A booklet about it: Bridges to Birds (1Mb PDF)
How We Thank You: Recognition, Gifts, and Adventure
All four phases, outlined: A Four-fold Project

And the collected posts (tagged “Bridges to Birds”)