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The Bird Garden Sculpture

The Bird Garden

Date Installed:
Region:
Aviary
Width:
2 ft
Depth:
2 ft
2D/3D:
3D
Jim Hirschfield & Sonya Ishii

The theme of this elegant and provocative collection of totems is species loss. The North Carolina Zoo is in possession of seven of the original eight totems that make up this composition. Together they are subtle and somber reminders of the profound impact of human actions. The birds represented include the Huia of North Island, New Zealand, last seen in 1907, the Laughing Owl of New Zealand, the Spectacled Cormorant, last seen in 1850, Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon seen in the US in 1914, the Great Auk of the Isle of Puffin, the Dodo and the Pink Headed Duck, last seen in 1945.

The Bird Garden is a mixed media installation made from steel, lighting, and acrylic. 

The Bird Garden is currently on loan to the City of Asheboro with pieces installed at the Asheboro Public Library and the Zoo City Sports Complex. 

Donated to the North Carolina Zoo by the artists
Originally located outside of the Aviary, The Bird Garden is no longer on display at the North Carolina Zoo. It is on loan to the City of Asheboro and pieces can be found at the Asheboro Public Library and the Zoo City Sports Complex.
The Bird Garden Sculpture