Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene with Holly Greenberg
July 27, 2024 | 11am-2pm
Brushwood Center
This event will take place as a part of the July 27 Open Art Workshop
Brushwood Center
This event will take place as a part of the July 27 Open Art Workshop
Help us make 10,836 birds!
In an effort to raise awareness about one of the leading causes of bird deaths, we are making replicas of every bird killed from a window collision and collected on the streets of Chicago in 2023 and we need your help! Chicago lies in the migratory path of over 300 species of birds, making it the most dangerous city in the country for our avian friends. In one night alone, 966 birds struck just one building on Chicago’s lakefront.Through crowdsourcing the crafting of these bird replicas, we will create a “carpet” of birds running over 300 feet in length. Using upcycled cloth and donated materials to create the birds, we invite citizens to help with the project through public workshops or from their own homes.
Understanding how you can protect your home from bird-window collisions is paramount to the project, which is why teaching about how to identify and modify your problematic windows is at the forefront of our mission. Please explore our website to find out how you can become involved through volunteering, creating a bird, and making your windows safe for birds.
About the Project
Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene is a large-scale civic engagement art project comprised of over 10,000 bird replicas made by the citizens of Chicago and beyond. Through free public workshops, participants are given a blank bird body, assigned a specific bird that died in 2023 from window collisions along Chicago’s lakefront, and are led through the crafting process to create a replica. Embracing an environmentally sustainable practice, we use donated fabric scraps that would otherwise end up in the landfill.
Birds are tagged with their common and scientific name, date of death and the name of the artist. Information and materials for making home windows safer for birds are included at the workshops. The finished artwork will be a “red carpet” of birds measuring the length of a football field and exhibited throughout the city to raise awareness about bird safe windows and celebrate the over 300 species of birds that fly through our city.
The workshops are appropriate for teens, adults, and families with children age 6+. It is a wonderful way for parents to connect with kids through a crafting event while discussing wildlife conservation.
In an effort to raise awareness about one of the leading causes of bird deaths, we are making replicas of every bird killed from a window collision and collected on the streets of Chicago in 2023 and we need your help! Chicago lies in the migratory path of over 300 species of birds, making it the most dangerous city in the country for our avian friends. In one night alone, 966 birds struck just one building on Chicago’s lakefront.Through crowdsourcing the crafting of these bird replicas, we will create a “carpet” of birds running over 300 feet in length. Using upcycled cloth and donated materials to create the birds, we invite citizens to help with the project through public workshops or from their own homes.
Understanding how you can protect your home from bird-window collisions is paramount to the project, which is why teaching about how to identify and modify your problematic windows is at the forefront of our mission. Please explore our website to find out how you can become involved through volunteering, creating a bird, and making your windows safe for birds.
About the Project
Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene is a large-scale civic engagement art project comprised of over 10,000 bird replicas made by the citizens of Chicago and beyond. Through free public workshops, participants are given a blank bird body, assigned a specific bird that died in 2023 from window collisions along Chicago’s lakefront, and are led through the crafting process to create a replica. Embracing an environmentally sustainable practice, we use donated fabric scraps that would otherwise end up in the landfill.
Birds are tagged with their common and scientific name, date of death and the name of the artist. Information and materials for making home windows safer for birds are included at the workshops. The finished artwork will be a “red carpet” of birds measuring the length of a football field and exhibited throughout the city to raise awareness about bird safe windows and celebrate the over 300 species of birds that fly through our city.
The workshops are appropriate for teens, adults, and families with children age 6+. It is a wonderful way for parents to connect with kids through a crafting event while discussing wildlife conservation.
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About the Artist: Holly Greenberg
As a sustainable artist, Holly Greenberg uses invasive plants, donated fabric scraps and discarded waste materials in her large-scale, eco-conscious installations. Integral to her practice is the civic engagement component in which citizens can lend a hand in the production of the work while learning about environmental initiatives such as habitat restoration through native gardening, and bird safe building practices. She is a professor of art at Syracuse University where she teaches courses in printmaking, drawing and sustainable arts practices. |
