the Project
The Aviary exhibition coincided with the Southern Alberta Art Gallery (SAAG) annual event, Art's Alive and Well in the Schools. This event celebrates educational programs and the work of young artists from Lethbridge schools. A large selection of work is exhibited in the gallery's main floor space. Aviary was conceived to extend community participation in the gallery to include people of all ages.
An aviary is place for keeping birds confined. Birds are kept for pleasure, food, and curiosity. The humane aviary would also enclose a portion of sky or a simulation of outdoors. This aviary provides more of the natural habitat allowing the birds to fly yet remain confined.
A bird's ability to fly is a source of wonder and inspiration for people. Birds in flight are often symbolic of peace, hope and freedom. Throughout history people have tried to understand and simulate the flight of birds.
Representations of birds have existed in every culture. In contemporary culture images of birds are used represent breakfast cereals, victims of environmental disaster, inner peace or the strength of a nation. The habitat of birds, the nest, is often used as a metaphor the human domestic environment Birds and images of birds are always around us.
Drawings of birds were solicited from people of Lethbridge for one month. Contributing artists were asked to sign a release permitting the use of their bird drawing in the exhibition. Birds were selected as a subject because of their universality and metaphoric value. More than 5000 drawings were collected.
Drawings were organized into a database to reference individual works. A card catalogue index located participating individuals and their work within the bound collection of drawings. SAAG was an aviary for thousands of bird drawings.
