Bell show spotlights birds and glass
Glass takes a terrible toll on birds, with hundreds of millions of them dying in collisions each year. More and more of us are realizing the danger that skyscrapers, stadiums and homes pose to birds and taking steps to reduce the carnage.
Now, a show at the Bell Museum drives home the destructive power of glass through large-size, high-resolution photos of some of our favorite songbirds as they'd look at the moment of impact. A beautiful American redstart is shown slamming into a sheet of glass, a hummingbird begins falling lifelessly to the ground and an indigo bunting lies on its back, mortally injured.
In "Impact: Birds in the Human-Built World," artist Miranda Brandon's photos show the danger of glass to birds. Her photos grew out of her volunteer work with Project BirdSafe, a collaborative project between the Bell Museum, Audubon Minnesota and others. The exhibit features the BirdSafe project and research developed by Bell museum curators and the state Audubon Society. Also on display are window applications designed to warn birds away from glass.
This breathtaking show ends April 19. Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, 10 Church St. SE., Mpls. www.bellmuseum.org
Val Cunningham
