BirdXBird Project Description

BIRD X BIRD Project Description
-BirdXBird Mission -BirdXBird Project -Guidelines for Artists -Rules of the Auction -Production Team -BirdXBird Yesterday & Today

Since 2002 Bird x Bird (a nonprofit organization) has enlisted painters, printmakers, photographers, sculptors and multi-media artists to create works of art in response to data collected about avian species. Each year the artworks created are exhibited and auctioned, raising funds to benefit organizations that advocate for the environment. Bird x Bird's mission is to stimulate a creative interface between artists, scientists and the public in an effort to enhance the stewardship of wild species and the ecoliteracy of human beings.

The works presented by Bird x Bird are decidedly contemporary; ranging widely in style, media and content offering diverse interpretations that are lyrical, ironic, humorous or provocative. The birds testify to the current state of affairs - they serve as surrogates for other species (that's no canary – that's you in the coalmine!) and resonate with our fundamental connection to nature. Bird x Bird exhibitions include indigenous species, imaginary species, and deconstructed species, examining our contemporary relationships with the Earth.

Over 100 national and international artists make art in response to data (about birds) collected at Audubon Center of the North Woods (ACNW), Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden & Bird Sanctuary at Theodore Wirth Park and from independent licensed wildlife rehabilitators.

Artists "claim" data from the BxB website (see Avian Data) by e-mailing the webmaster, and make art as a creative response.

At the end of the birding season, the art created will be exhibited and sold at a silent auction held Friday, October 5 th from 6:00-9:00pm at the Northrup King Building at 1500 Jackson St. in N.E. Minneapolis. Proceeds from BirdXBird will benefit future bird banding and wildlife rehabilitation at ACNW, the bird sanctuary at Eloise Butler and will provide seed money for the next year's BirdXBird event.

Artists interested in participating with BirdXBird should contact Cynde Randall, BirdXBird's artistic director, at cynderandall@centurytel.net for more information about submitting their work for consideration.

Guidelines for BirdXBird artists.

New artists who are interested in participating with BirdXBird should direct their inquiries to artistic director, Cynde Randall at: cynderandall@centurytel.net

BirdXBird artists are asked to claim birds or dates from the Avian Data posted here, on the BirdXBird website. Artists are welcome to incorporate other species data (insects, plants, etc) from the phenology notes into their art. Artists may employ any media and any style; interpretations of the data are the sole discretion of the project artists. Artists may choose to make art about birds not included in any of the data (i.e. Ivory-billed Woodpecker)

The avian data on this web site is intended as a source for inspiration. The project artists will respond to the data, of their own choosing, by creating an original work(s) of art. Artists are encouraged to make clear the data they are referencing by a) including data (i.e. date collected, species, and stats) in the artwork itself or, b) including data in the title of the work (s).

Artists should note that all species listed in the Avian Data are linked to science websites & images. Just click on the name of the species to access information and images about that species.

The bird banding program at ACNW gathers data about species that nest in Minnesota in an effort to better understand the lives of birds and the conservation strategies needed to help reverse population declines, and maintain stable or increasing populations of various avian species. ACNW's education raptors (Great horned owl, screech owls, red tail hawks, falcon, and bald eagle) serve as avian ambassadors for their educational programs with kids. All, but the bald eagle, are flightless due to human inflicted injury. The list of birds coming from Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary will be compiled by the garden's naturalists whose phenology notes record the daily sightings of birds, mammals, herps, insects, and plants. The rehabilitation data is provided by independent licensed wildlife rehabilitators caring for injured and orphaned birds found in the metro and adjacent areas.

Communication with the project artists will be through email only. If you are participating with the project but do not have email, please make arrangements to use a friend's address or the set up a hotmail address at your local library.

Contact Information requested: please take a moment to send your current contact info including mailing address, phone numbers and email address to Cynde Randall at cynderandall@centurytel.net. This information will help us to track who is in the project, be better prepared for the press and to ensure that we know how to reach you.

Project artists will set the minimum bid for the work. Artists may retain up to 50% of sale. This percentage will not be made public but known only by the artist and BXB production team. At the end of the event's auction the highest bidders win. All art sold must be paid for and removed by the end of the evening. Credit cards will be the preferred method of payment. Art not sold will remain the property of the artist.

All artists participating with BXB will be mailed a receipt and a check for their share of the sale within 30 days of the event.

BXB is produced by: Cynde Randall oversees the master birder list and will facilitate communication between project artists and BXB partner organizations and the press; Andrew Neher will design all graphic and PR material. Roxy Ballard will lead the BirdXBird Installation team, Marge Vanderburg will serve as treasurer for the project; a myriad birders will assist with the installation of the exhibition. If you are interested in helping with BXB production, email Cynde Randall at cynderandall@centurytel.net to get more involved. Art tellers, shop keepers, gift shop designers, helpers with mailing are all needed.

BirdxBird began in 2002 as an avian portrait project to benefit the Minnesota Wildlife Haven (MWH), a small medical facility on the north side of Minneapolis that served orphaned and injured wild animals from 2002 until 2004. Cynde Randall, an artist and volunteer at MWH, conceived the project as a way to acknowledge each and every bird cared for by the clinic through original works of art. Randall invited 10 artists to meet and consider the possibility of making a visual archive of the clinics 500 avian patients that nesting season. The project's founding artists include David Lefkowitz, Carolyn Swiszcz, Bruce Tapola, Melba Price, Cynde Randall, Ann Wood, Dean Lucker, Jim Ockuly, Lee Anne Swanson, and Alexa Horochowski.

Today, Bird x Bird represents the involvement of over 150 artists from around the world and presents an ongoing series of exhibition at Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary and Northrup King Building and support programs that connect humans to nature through the arts. BirdxBird exhibitions are curated by its founder and artistic director, Cynde Randall. The project's website is designed and maintained by Bird x Bird artist Carmen Vazalt (which receives numerous hits from countries around the globe each day) BirdxBird's graphic designer is Andrew Neher; BirdxBird's 2007 Board of Directors includes Cynde Randall, Jan Elftmann and Bill Gorcica.