Birds ‘n Words
A community collaboration led by Toby Jaxon, Tatiana Lee and Zoë Evamy.
“We are dedicated to promoting and supporting local emerging and established artists, providing opportunities for creative expression and dialogue within our community to support local conservation initiatives. The Birds ‘n Words team is grateful for support from the Squamish Arts 2024 Arts & Culture Grant and the District of Squamish”
Birds ‘N Words is an installation comprised of 20 paintings and 6 poems on the theme of wild birds, environmental interdependence and reciprocity.
Our intention with this project is to raise awareness for our vibrant, local bird population and to support the education and wild bird protection programs in Squamish. Based on the Squamish Environment Society’s monthly bird count database, we chose 25 commonly recognized birds from our backyards and the Squamish Estuary and invited 20 local artists to lend their vision and styles in creating 12”x12” canvases. Our project framework was beautifully designed and art directed by Toby Jaxon, who provided a map of the entire piece, connecting the canvases through a network of branches and background colour swatches. This provided an exciting and challenging artistic framework for each artist to create a unique piece in their own style and contribute to a larger, cohesive installation.
My painting Starling and Rosy Finch came together quickly and somewhat effortlessly - so I put my hand up to write a poem. Tatiana Lee, our poet lead graciously agreed and has included it, which is a massive honour - the other 5 poems are spectacular! My effort has some way to go, but it does reflect one of my favourite pastimes - waking up early and sitting on the back deck recording the dawn chorus on my Merlin app.
Our project has been sponsored by the 2024 Arts & Culture Grant from the District of Squamish. The installation is currently exhibiting at the Foyer Gallery in the Squamish Public Library until September - it’s worth a visit. With support from the Squamish Public Library, we’ve also earned a grant from the Squamish Community Foundation to publish a book in early 2025. The 20 paintings will be auctioned in support of the Squamish Environment Society’s Bird Friendly program and Purple Martin nest box initiative.
Stay tuned for more on this evolving project!
