"Instinct Extinct: The Great Pacific Flyway"

Through November 27, 2016.

A multidisciplinary art installation exploring and celebrating the Pacific Flyway, opens at the Grace Hudson Museum on Saturday, August 20.

image: “Feather Print Wall,” conceived by exhibit organizers Valerie Constantino, Glenda Drew and Ann Savageau.

The Flyway is viewed through a range of lenses: wildlife habitat, agricultural backdrop, recreational commons, conservation story, and inspirational phenomenon for artists, writers, and everyone in California and beyond. Produced by Exhibit Envoy, the exhibition grew out of a partnership between three Sacramento-area visual artists – Valerie Constantino, Glenda Drew and Ann Savageau – and various wildlife associations, scientists, and scholars.

The Pacific Flyway is a major north-south pathway traversed by millions of migratory birds that extends from Alaska to Patagonia. Instinct Extinct is designed to share, translate, and transmit the poetic essence of this major corridor within a contemporary art environment, supplemented by contextual ornithological and biological information. Throughout the exhibit the artists convey their appreciation for the anatomical variety and feats of flight and navigation that make the return of hundreds of bird species to California every year a cause for celebration. At the same time, they illustrate the threats that habitat loss, pesticide use, development and climate change pose to migratory wildlife.

The installation includes maps of the Flyway and wooden boxes that visitors can open to discover artist-made assemblages related to birds and flight. A stroboscope and Gobo Scope (which generates patterns of light and shadow) create the illusion of flight within the gallery. Audio and video recordings collected on location throughout California featuring birds, insects, and humans who are familiar with and travel the Flyway, all add depth and make visiting the exhibit a multisensory experience.

Instinct Extinct is a traveling exhibition produced by Exhibit Envoy, funded by The James Irvine Foundation, and curated by Valerie Constantino, Glenda Drew and Ann Savageau. Amy Neel and the Neel Family Foundation, and the Sun House Guild provided additional funding to make possible its Ukiah showing. Bird specimens from the Hopland Research Extension Center and Lake Sonoma Visitor Center will provide visitors with an opportunity to see regional Flyway birds up close.

Exhibit Envoy is a statewide organization that provides traveling exhibitions and professional services to museums throughout California. Its mission is to build new perspectives among Californians, create innovative exhibitions and solutions, and advance institutions in service to their communities. www.exhibitenvoy.org.

Instinct Extinct: The Great Pacific Flyway runs through November 27, 2016. Several special events are planned for the fall: an Artists’ Gallery Tour on Sept. 24, a Family Fun at the Museum event on Oct. 8, and a Migratory Bird Program and Mushroom Celebration on Nov. 4.

Article by Roberta Werdinger.

The Grace Hudson Museum is at 431 S. Main St. in Ukiah and is a part of the City of Ukiah’s Community Services Department. The Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 am to 4:30 pm and Sunday from noon to 4:30 pm.  For more information please go to www.gracehudsonmuseum.org or call 467-2836.

Grace Hudson Museum & Sun House
431 South Main Street, Ukiah, CA 95482