"Birds of the Rocky Mountain Region"

Press Release: "Birds of the Rocky Mountain Region"

Dates:  May 4 to July 2, 2023

Reception:  May 4, 5:00 to 7:30 PM

Feature Program:

   June 9 at 6:00 pm: John Taliaferro, Lecture - George Bird Grinnell

Educational Programs:  

   May 6 at 10:30 am:  "Wyoming Birds for Kids" Book Launch, Children’s Activities, and Guest Falconer. 

   June 17 at 8:30am:  Birding 307, Zach Hutchinson of Audubon Rockies - Followed by Bighorn Audubon's Annual Meeting

   June 20 at 6:00 pm: Citizen and community Science Program with Bighorn Forest wildlife biologists Bonnie Allison and Tracy Pinter

 

THE BRINTON MUSEUM (Big Horn, WY) in partnership with Bighorn Audubon Society presents "Birds of the Rocky Mountain Region", a national juried art competition opening on May 4. Ninety-four artists from throughout the United States submitted up to three entries each in 2-d media and also 3-d media representing a wide diversity of artistic styles. Exhibit jurors: Brinton Museum curatorial director Kenneth Schuster; award-winning artist Joel Ostlind from Big Horn (WY); and Peter G. Arnold, Board of Directors Audubon Rockies, selected 40 works from 224 entries for this show.

 

The genesis of this exhibition is a natural outgrowth of the institution’s relationship to the land and the history of the Quarter Circle A Ranch. Bradford Brinton (1880 - 1936) purchased the Quarter Circle A Ranch headquarters in 1923 and collected fine art and furnishings for the house. His sister, Helen, was the recipient of his estate. Upon her death in 1960, through her estate, she established the Helen Brinton Bird, Game and Fish Reserve. In 2016 The Brinton Museum in partnership with Bighorn Audubon Society and Audubon Rockies designated 620 acres of the ranch as an Important Bird Area (IBA). The museum’s prestigious holdings of art of bird subject and its partnership with Bighorn Audubon Society are key factors in the origination of the Birds of the Rocky Mountain Region exhibit. An illustrated catalog of the show accompanies this exhibition.

 

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Award-winning journalist John Taliaferro, a graduate of Harvard College and former senior editor at Newsweek, will present an educational lecture about the conservation activist George Bird Grinnell (1849 - 1938) on June 9 at 6:00 PM. Taliaferro is the author of the highly regarded publication, “Grinnell, America’s Environmental Pioneer and His Restless Drive to Save the West.” Grinnell’s deep connection to birds, Sheridan County and his relationship to the Northern Cheyenne People helped to preserve much of what are now public western lands. Taliaferro is the author of several books and a winner of the Douglas Dillon Award. A series of outdoor programs on birds and birding organized by Bighorn Audubon Society will also be offered at The Brinton Museum. These include children’s activities; a guest falconer; and the launch of a children’s book, Wyoming Birds for Kids, authored by Bighorn Audubon Society member Pam Moore, on May 6, beginning at 10:30 AM. Zach Hutchinson of Audubon Rockies will present Birding 307 on June 17, beginning at 9:00 AM. A Citizen Science Program with Bighorn National Forest wildlife biologists Bonnie Allison and Tracy Pinter, and with Ariel Downing on the Christmas Bird Count, takes place on June 20 at 6:00 PM. These events are offered free and open to the public. More information is found on Bighorn Audubon Society’s website at bighornaudubon.com

 

"Birds of the Rocky Mountain Region" is sponsored by Carol and Sam Mavrakis of the Seidler Foundation, Kay Wallick and D J Purcell, and Fort Phil Kearny/Bozeman Trail Association. The exhibition continues at The Brinton Museum through July 2, 2023. A reception for the artists takes place on May 4, from 5:00 to 7:30 PM. This program is free and open to the public.

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About Bighorn Audubon Society: Established in 1970, Bighorn Audubon Society offers engaging programs, field trips to observe birds, and conservation campaigns. Bighorn Audubon is an independent non-profit organization affiliated with the National Audubon Society. The local chapter is the core strength of the Audubon network and plays a critical role on behalf of birds, wildlife and people. Its mission is to be a grassroots community that works for the protection of birds and habitats for the benefit of our communities and the region.

 

About The Brinton Museum: Founded in 1960, The Brinton Museum is a fine arts institution devoted to preserving the art and history of the West. Located on the historic Quarter Circle Ă Ranch in the foothills of the majestic Bighorn Mountains, it features 19th, 20th and 21st century American and Indian Art in a historic Western setting. The Brinton Museum is a participating member of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association which offers its members free admission during regular museum hours to other participating NARM institutions.

Hours: Thursday through Monday, 9:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.  Open Daily, 9:30 A.M to 5:00 P.M. Memorial Day through Labor Day

Admission for 2023 is offered free through a generous grant from Ramaco Carbon, LLC