To Create An Urban Bird Walk
Long Beach, CA -- October 16, 2012 - Ever walked the El Dorado
duck pond and wondered who were all those beautiful winged wonders who
inhabit the pond? Once local artists respond to the call to submit their
renderings of the wild birds, you will be able to see them via the
"Long Beach Winged Wonders" banner project being launched by
Councilwoman Gerrie Schipske.
"Local artists are being asked to submit artwork depicting 44 wild birds that inhabit the pond," says Schipske, who established a Lakes, Ponds and Wetlands Task Force five years ago. "The selected entries will be placed on banners which will be hung on the light poles that circle the duck pond in El Dorado Park off Willow Street and Studebaker, which is the home for hundreds of wild birds. The banners will also feature the names of the wild birds that inhabit the pond and information about the importance of these birds to the environment.
Schipske notes that she
launched the partnership between the art community and supporters of our
wild life to help educate and promote awareness about the numerous
birds who make their home in our local pond. "The colorful, creative
banners will be accompanied by bird sounds and a narrated tour that can
be accessed by visitors' cell phones."
The "call to artists" is
being coordinated by the Arts Council of Long Beach and the Long Beach
Museum of Art and is open to all artists that live or work in Long
Beach. There is no age restriction. Submissions of two dimensional
artwork are welcome. Art must be a single image in color with no
background. Work must be original and done on a flat surface of canvass
or paper with each individual artists' chosen medium. Photographs or
three dimensional artwork will not be accepted. Artists are permitted to
submit original art of up to three different bird species, and each can
be created with a different medium. All submissions will be juried by
an independent review panel assembled by the Arts Council. A list of the
bird species is available by clicking here: http://www.longbeach.gov/naturecenter/birds.asp.
Deadline for submissions of
original artwork is Monday, November 30, 2012. Submissions must be
submitted to the following address: http://artscouncilforlongbeach.submittable.com.
Each artist will need to provide his/her name, artist statement and
description of each piece submitted. Up to three images, each depicting a
single species, can be submitted with an optional detail shot of each
image.
Schipske is partnering with
Partners of Park, Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, Waste Management,
and the Port of Long Beach to raise funds for the printing of the
banners and a book featuring the artists and their works that will be
made available in the El Dorado Nature Center.
For more information, please contact Molly Gardner at the Arts Council: 562 435 2787.
