Art of Migration and why birds matter.

Each August I start off the school year doing an installation project with all my students from grades K-5. This year in Boulder there is a community event called the 2nd annual Americas Latino  Eco Festival, my students are making artwork for the  K-12 Art Eco Festival Exhibit.  The Americas Latino Eco-Festival (ALEF) was designed to promote environmental awareness among American Latino audiences and create a platform for dialogue and mobilization for a just society to ensure that everyone has access to a healthy environment.

Each student drew a migratory bird and we installed over 600 birds in the front hallway.  Birds have been a great source of inspiration for people all over the world and throughout time. Artists of all kinds have used birds in their paintings, stories, for their music and even in fashion. Different aspects of birds - their colorful feathers, brilliant songs and their ability to fly across the globe - are all represented in art. This art project celebrates the continuing relationship between migratory birds and people. The relationship between birds and people has always been a special one, and the closer one looks at these valuable associations, the greater these connections seem to become. Throughout time and across cultures humans have relied on birds, be it to supply food, to deliver messages, or to serve as symbols of power and prestige.