Iridescence: John Gould’s Hummingbirds
May 27, 2017 - August 27, 2017
This collection of avian artworks by John Gould includes 80 antique prints from c. 1861. This J Gould exhibition will highlight a recent acquisition and give visitors an in-depth look at a single artist prominent in the wildlife art field. The collection includes all 20 hummingbirds known to exist in North America at that time, plus 60 other hummingbirds from around the world.
About John Gould (From 2017 “Call of the Wild”)
By the age of 23 John Gould was the curator and preserver of the Zoological Society of London. Less than four years later he published his first book about birds. Over his sixty-year career, Gould produced approximately three thousand plates of birds. More an ornithologist and an expert in taxidermy than a fine artist, Gould worked with artists including his wife Elizabeth Gould, Edward Lear, Joseph Wolf, and William Matthew Hart to produce the images that appeared in his books. It was work by Gould—identifying many of the specimens that Charles Darwin brought back to England with him from the Galapagos Islands as unique species—that was a cornerstone in Darwin’s theory of evolution.
Soundscape Experience within the Exhibition:
Thomas Rex Beverly is a field recordist who created the soundscape currently playing in Iridescence: John Gould’s Hummingbirds. The soundscape is titled: “Iridescence: A Day in the Life of a Hummingbird,” and is a delightful 15 minute composition of sounds including: hummingbirds flying, a thunderstorm, wind, and crickets chirping.
Listen to the full soundscape below:
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Benjamin Mkapa African Wildlife Photography Awards
Through April 21, 2024Bringing Africa to the World, and the World to Africa. What separates the Mkapa Photo Awards from other photo competitions is their core commitment to conservation through categories that are specific to topics of concern in modern Africa.
See the Exhibit
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Transformations: Wildlife in Inuit Art and Culture
Through May 5, 2024Through cultural stories, Transformations seeks to explore Inuit history, values, and beliefs. The exhibit is comprised of works from the permanent collection and items on loan from private collections. The hope, as it is with all exhibits, is that visitors take away a deeper appreciation of the artwork and perhaps are introduced to something that they did not know before. Most importantly, we want to bring attention to the fact that today Inuit artists are producing powerful artworks that reference histories and that, at the same time, confront contemporary issues such as conservation and environmental concerns.
See the Exhibit