By Laura Fogg | for The Ukiah Daily Journal

Ideas have a way of springing out of the ether in the most unexpected of circumstances. That’s how it worked when two almost “elderly” women were riding their bicycles uphill on Masonite Road one fine morning last summer.

Panting hard and getting a little heady at about mile six, they leaned on their conversation to distract them from the desire to quit and turn around before reaching their goal at mile marker 8. They talked about anything that came to mind and ended up sharing their passions… birds in the case of one, and art in the case of the other. The women were Helen Menasian and myself, Laura Fogg.

Helen, a longtime member of the Peregrine Audubon Society and erstwhile “Mother Nature” at the Redwood Valley Outdoor Education Project, started talking about the astonishing number of bird species, and how ubiquitous they are on our planet. I went off on my own artsy trajectory about how much fun it is to depict birds in various art media, and how every culture has their own unique ways of doing that.

As Helen’s supply of oxygen depleted further she let her head spin with notions of birds as messengers from ancestors, manifestations of various gods, and harbingers of change. I started processing what she was saying through my artist eyes, and realized that we had just created an idea that neither of us could have come up with alone.

An art show… not just about birds, but about the magic of birds. We’ve all seen pretty paintings of egrets and bluebirds, but what about representations of that ethereal essence that captures so many peoples’ imaginations? What about the bird ancestors that are revered in so many cultures, or the feathered messengers from the gods? What about the marvel of flight? By the time Helen and I reached our turn-around point we had the call for artists written in our minds.

“Birds: Winged Messengers” is generously sponsored by the Peregrine Audubon Society. Covering interior Mendocino County, this esteemed organization promotes the conservation of birds, wildlife, and their natural habitats. Peregrine Audubon provides informative and educational public programs and participates actively as an advocate for environmental conservation. The group will provide an informational table as part of the show

An additional treat in conjunction with this show about the magic of birds will be a free basket weaving class taught by Corine Pearce, Little River Band of Pomo Indians, Redwood Valley. In her words, “Weaving always connects us with nature and where we are, because the process spirals and grows and changes as you work. You are in charge of the direction, but also working in communion with the materials, which is actually very much like the birds’ process of building their nests.”

Students in Corine’s class will be creating simple twined baskets using rattan (a commercially produced “borrowed” material) in a universal basketry technique. Twining lends itself to making all kinds of other baskets, and there will be lots of examples to inspire students. Corine will also talk about the use of traditional and local materials.

The class will be offered at Art Center Ukiah (in the back of the Corner Gallery) at 201 S. State St. in Ukiah on Sunday, March 10 from 9 a m. to noon. Participants may sign up in person at the gallery Tues.-Sat. between 11 and 5, or phone 707-462-1400 to reserve a space. The minimum age is 11, and the class will be limited to 10 participants. There is no cost.

Corine is offering this class as part of an Upstate CA Creative Corps grant that she was awarded last year. Under the auspices of this very competitive statewide grant, millions of dollars were awarded directly to California artists with the intention that public art in all of its forms become an increasingly vital component of our society.

The First Friday opening reception for this show will be held on March 1 from 5-8 p.m. Live music will be presented throughout the evening by Steve Winkle. The Corner Gallery is located at 201 S. State St. in Ukiah.