"Birds in Art" to land at WFMA

The Wichita Falls Museum of Art at Midwestern State University (WFMA) will present "Birds in Art," a touring exhibition organized by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. An opening reception will be held Thursday, May 4, from 6-8 p.m. for the exhibition, which will provide audiences of all ages the opportunity to examine art that depicts wild birds in their natural habitats, and expresses the beauty and variety of birds worldwide.

The 50 paintings and works on paper and 10 sculptures portray scenes from backyard feeder favorites or exotic species from around the world, and an international cast of artist interpretations of avian themes and habitats in diverse styles and mediums. Art lovers and bird lovers alike will appreciate the harmony and serenity or the power and tension that infuse these artworks that present wide-ranging perspectives and insights into avian life and environmental issues.

Dr. Marcy Brown Marsden, Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics whose area of study is ornithology, will present "Birds in Art - Uniting Science, History and Beauty," on Tuesday, May 9, at 5 p.m. in the Cannedy Events Hall at the WFMA. She will discuss the exhibit as well as a project on identifying birds in artwork that she conducted in partnership with the Dallas Museum of Art.

Docent tours and other free programs conducted during the exhibition will educate audiences about regional bird populations, habitat, and migrations, and will explore how artists respond to nature and express their knowledge of and fascination with birds. Personnel from River Bend Nature Center and Wild Bird Rescue also will conduct free educational programs during the exhibition.

Artists include Chris Bacon, Robert Bateman, Mark A. Collins, Peter Gray, Lars Jonsson, Patricia Pepin, and Paula Waterman, and countries represented include the United States, Canada, South Africa, Sweden, Japan, Australia, Italy, and England.

"Birds in Art" will be on display through June 24. The exhibition is made possible in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts, which invests in a creative Texas. Call the museum at 940-397-8900 for more information.