The Carnegie Museum of Natural History Hosts Artist Todd McGrain & The Lost Bird Project
Fran Laks
fran@lostbirdproject.org
lostbirdproject.org
lostbirdfilm.org
Tel: 212.213.8747
Image: Artist Todd McGrain in his studio working on The Lost Bird Project
[click image for larger view]
HOSTS ARTIST TODD MCGRAIN & THE LOST BIRD PROJECT
The Lost Bird Project film is a hopeful response to the tragedy of modern extinction. The hour-long documentary charts the efforts of artist Todd McGrain to immortalize five North American birds that are no longer part of our landscape’s living fabric; the Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet, Labrador Duck, Great Auk, and Heath Hen. Moved by their stories, McGrain set out to bring their vanished forms back into the world by placing his elegant, evocative bronze memorials at the location of each bird’s demise. The Lost Bird Project tells the birds’ extinction stories and follows McGrain’s attempts to find permanent homes for the sculptures. The film is an elegy to the five birds and a thoughtful and sometimes humorous look at the artist and his mission.
Todd McGrain’s book, of the same title, was published in September 2014. Part natural history and part artist’s diary, The Lost Bird Project details the artist’s evolving relationship with the Lost Birds.
Todd McGrain is a sculptor, filmmaker, author, creative director and co-founder of the non-profit organization The Lost Bird Project. McGrain’s sculptures, memorials to five extinct North American birds, have been permanently placed at locations directly related to each bird’s decline. Groups of all five sculptures are currently on view at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago, and the National Wildlife Museum in Jackson Hole. McGrain’s book about the personal journey, which led him to the extinction stories of the lost birds and the sculpture project that followed, was published in September 2014. McGrain is a recent graduate of the School of Visual Arts, New York City and is currently working on a documentary about the plight of forest elephants in central Africa. McGrain is the artist-in-residence at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the winner of the 2014 Audubon Award for Art Inspiring Conservation.
This event is among several Pittsburgh-area events and exhibitions marking the centenary of the Passenger Pigeon’s extinction. Visit passengerpigeonpittsburgh.org for a complete listing of related programs.
For more information:
Museum Event Listing: http://www.carnegiemnh.org/
Film: lostbirdfilm.org
Artist: toddmcgrain.com
Book: http://www.amazon.com/Lost-
High res photos: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.
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