From the February 2008 issue of e-Momentum
The Interaction between Art and Biology
February 11 – April 3, 2008
Looking at Birds
Symposium and artist reception
April 3 at 2:30 p.m.
Konover Auditorium, Thomas J. Dodd Research Center
The Contemporary Art Galleries (CAG), in collaboration with the University of Connecticut’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, is organizing an interdisciplinary, multi-media exhibition titled Ornithology: Looking at Birds. In addition, the two departments will present a symposium to complement the exhibition.
East Hartford-based Pratt & Whitney has made a generous grant to support both the exhibition and the symposium. A leading developer of technologies for air travel, Pratt & Whitney has a long history of financial support for UConn, particularly in engineering. This is the first time, however, that the company has underwritten a project in the fine arts, a notable expansion of its commitment to the university.
Dean of the School of Fine Arts David Woods is pleased with the new partnership. “UConn and Pratt & Whitney already have a strong relationship. We welcome Pratt & Whitney’s new interest in the University of Connecticut’s fine arts programs, and greatly appreciate all that they have done to make the Ornithology exhibit possible," he says.
"Pratt & Whitney has a long history of supporting the University of Connecticut's cultural and educational programs through its contributions program," says Heather Summerer, Pratt & Whitney public affairs manager. “We donate more than $4.5M to non-profit and educational institutions annually.”
"We support programs that enhance the cultural life of our communities through arts and environmental initiatives that protect our natural resources," Summerer says. "We believe this exhibit and symposium provide a wonderful opportunity to partner with the University of Connecticut to promote these goals."
The exhibition opened at the CAG, located in the School of Fine Arts building, on February 11, and runs through April 3. The symposium will take place on April 3 at 2:30 p.m. at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center. The symposium will feature a panel of internationally renowned artists and ornithologists, contemporary artists and UConn faculty, with the aim of fostering dialogue on the importance and symbolic value of birds in art production, scientific research and human psychology. A reception for the visiting speakers will take place at the CAG directly following the symposium.
The show presents a diverse mix of images, videos, sound clips and other works, featuring birds as its common underlying theme. Birds have long caught the imagination of artists, and this would not be the first exhibition to present images of our beautiful “feathered friends.”
Ornithology, however, takes a new approach, and offers visitors a much different experience. Using images of and themes associated with birds, the exhibition’s artists raise provocative questions about the human condition and the actions of humankind. Through the deceptively simple figure of the bird, the works on display explore themes of race and gender relations, emerging and evolving global politics, economics and environmental change.
