The Sound Ring by Maya Lin
Head to the front desk where you'll easily spot this acoustic artwork. Made of sustainably-harvested American walnut, Maya Lin’s Sound Ring is a marvel for both your eyes and your ears. As a part of her What is Missing? memorial to extinct, endangered, and threatened species, the sculpture’s eight hidden speakers play sounds from habitat soundscapes and some of the species that live there. Habitats include the North American forest, the Indian Ocean, and an Amazon rainforest. Individual species include everything from frogs to gibbons, Humpback whales to jaguars—and of course, birds. Lin designed this piece as a gift to the Lab for its conservation efforts around the world. Her work serves as a reminder that we must continually work toward the preservation of species.Maya Lin is known for her pieces that deal with loss and history, including her most famous work, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Lin received a Masters of Architecture from Yale University. She sources her inspiration from diverse landscapes and architectural styles, using her art to address the relationships people have to their environment.
Wall of Silhouettes by James Prosek
It's hard to miss this black and white mural, which spans 120 feet in width and 40 feet in height. As part of the Cornell Lab’s 2015 centennial anniversary, James Prosek created the Wall of Silhouettes to acknowledge the interconnected history of ornithological science and visual arts. His mural depicts 140 North and South American bird species silhouettes in their natural postures and habitats. As a tribute to Roger Tory Peterson's 1934 Guide to Birds and its endpapers, each bird is pictured with a corresponding number.However, the “key” of species names does not appear on the wall forcing viewers to observe the forms of the silhouettes without being able to immediately satisfy the urge of knowing exactly what species it is. Prosek believes this provokes a deeper curiosity and appreciation for the displayed species. The Lab holds a key to the wall at our Visitor Center front desk for those who wish to check their guesses. James Prosek is an artist, writer, and naturalist. He made his debut with his first major book, Trout: an Illustrated History (Alfred A. Knopf, 1996). While continuing to author his own books, Prosek is also a curatorial affiliate of the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University and a member of the advisory board of the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies.
Fuertes Room by Louis Agassiz Fuertes
Opposite of Prosek's mural is the entrance to the Auditorium and the Fuertes Room. This room was once the private library of Frederick Brewster. In 1909, Brewster commissioned Ithaca-born artist Louis Agassiz Fuertes to design the teak-paneled library and complete the oil paintings in the room. The birds depicted in these paintings are among some of Fuertes’ favorites, pictured in their most appropriate and natural postures and habitats.This library was donated and incorporated into the current Lab building in 2003. As a piece of physical history, this room contains many elements of the original library including the paintings, the books, and the door. Louis Agassiz Fuertes was an accomplished American ornithologist, illustrator, and artist. After graduating from Cornell University in 1897, he set out on a series of expeditions that expanded his knowledge of birds. He applied this knowledge to his artistic and scientific works and became a lecturer of ornithology at Cornell. His dedication to the study of birds has proven invaluable, leaving his successors with 3,500 beautifully prepared bird skins and over 1,000 sketches of more than 400 different species of birds.
Peregrine Falcon Pursuing a Ring-necked Pheasant by Louis Agassiz Fuertes
Walk towards the store from the Fuertes room and look up to the second floor to find our next stop.Frederick Brewster commissioned artist Louis Agassiz Fuertes to create this painting for his private library in New Haven, Connecticut. It depicts a Peregrine Falcon, renowned for its incredible speed and hunting stoop, striking its prey mid-air. One of Fuertes’ expeditions included a stop at Fisher’s Island, New York, which he has chosen for the setting of this piece. This artwork along with the Brewster Library (featured in the Fuertes Room) was donated by the Brewster family. Fredrick Brewster's will directed that following he and his wife's death that Edgerton, his 66-room sprawling Tudor-style mansion, be torn down and its 25 acre grounds made into a park for the city of New Haven.
"Virginia" Peregrine Falcon sculpture
This bronze sculpture is located near the entrance to the Bartels Theater, below the Fuertes painting of the Peregrine Falcon in pursuit of a pheasant. The sculpture Virginia, by artist Ross Matteson, was commissioned in honor of Tom Cade to commend his vision and determination to save the Peregrine Falcon from extinction. It was gifted by Phyllis R. Dague, Willard R. Heck, and James D. Weaver. Virginia is named after a Peregrine Falcon that was part of a mated pair, which were the first falcons to nest in downtown Seattle, Washington. The pair made their aerie on the Washington Mutual Savings Tower. In 1994, to the great regret of the people of Seattle, Virginia was killed when she flew into a glass window. She had been hunting pigeons while her mate was caring for their chicks. Ross Matteson is a professional sculptor and community activist living in Olympia, Washington. He is a graduate of The Evergreen State College (WA) and he has worked in both the music recording industry and visual art. Ross' sculptures have appeared in over 200 exhibitions worldwide. His avian sculptures intrepret the bird as both a biological subject and as a metaphor.
Pseudodontron skeleton
Pseudodontron ("pseudo-teeth") Look at this skeleton from two angles: from below looking up toward the Peregrine painting by Fuertes or from eye-level by the second floor near the entrance to the Adelson Library.This skeleton is a cast of an ancient bird that lived during the late Oligocene Epoch, 28 million years ago. The original skeleton was discovered in Charleston County, South Carolina. This giant bird had sharp, bony projections along its beak which paleontologists believe probably functioned as teeth, and which give the creature its name. Also known as Pelagornis, it currently holds the record as the largest bird ever to have flown, with an estimated wingspan of more than 20 feet (5 meters). The mural From So Simple a Beginning, which covers the wall visible behind the cast, features a fully feathered interpretation of this bird soaring near the staircase. Visit the Wall of Birds online tour to learn more about this impressive ancient animal.
From So Simple a Beginning by Jane Kim
This colorful mural covers the wall leading to the Auditorium, but the best views can be found upstairs. What was once a blank white wall now serves as home to 243 surviving bird families. From So Simple a Beginning depicts over 375 million years of avian evolution. Prehistoric and extinct species are pictured in monochrome, with living birds painted in vibrant, life-like colors. Completed in November 2015, this mural spans nearly 3000 square feet. Artist Jane Kim invites visitors to contemplate both the diversity and the evolutionary forces that led to each species' presence in the mural today. The Lab also provides an accompanying online tour, allowing people to learn about each bird as well as their corresponding families. Founder of Ink Dwell studio, Jane Kim received her BFA at Rhode Island School of Design and was part of the Bartels Science Illustration Program here at the Cornell Lab. She also holds a master's certificate in Scientific Illustration from California State University, Monterey Bay. In addition to her work at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, she has also created pieces for the National Aquarium, Smithsonian, and Yosemite National Park.
Williams Gallery of Art
Take the stairs or elevator to the second floor to experience this gallery.The Williams Gallery of Art features an array of bird portraits and artwork from a variety of artists all over the world. These works have been donated and collected over the years and are now on display for visitors to the Cornell Lab. Artists featured include Alexander Wilson with his piece, Red-headed, Downy, and Hairy Woodpeckers; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Created in 1808, this is one of the oldest pieces of art in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology collection.Another work titled, Common Merganser, is a hand-colored lithograph by artist John Gould. Gould was Britain's leading ornithologist and one of the best known artists of the Victorian Age. Take a stroll down this hallway to explore the gallery.
Metal Bird Sculptures by Bill Reid
To find these sculptures, visit the Adelson Library at the end of the upstairs hallway.Bill Reid became interested in artistic creation during his years in high school. He developed his talents at the Kansas City Art Institute for sculpture and then at Cranbrook Academy of Art for an MFA in sculpture. While there, his passion for metal and heat inspired him to work with an oxy acetylene torch, which he now uses in his works today. His favorite animals to create are birds, but he has also sculpted other subjects including narwhals, anteaters, and whales. Bill was personally asked by Mrs. Gene Johnson (for whom this building is named) to create a piece for the Lab. His response was the Ivory Billed Woodpecker with binoculars, now present in the upstairs hall across from the library entrance. Bill states that he "often puts nice clothes and shoes on them so they might get more respect."
Passenger Pigeon by Todd McGrain
You'll find this sculpture just outside the Visitor Center entrance. Within less than fifty years, Passenger Pigeons went from comprising up to forty percent of the land bird population of North America to almost completely extinct—all due to overhunting. Without any regulations, the rapid decline of passenger pigeon populations reached its end when the last known pigeon "Martha" died in 1914 at Cincinnati Zoo. As a memorial to this extinction, artist Todd McGrain created the Passenger Pigeon sculpture. His work encourages viewers to reflect on our loss and recognize the impacts we have on other species. The sculpture stands as a reminder of our duty to prevent further extinctions from occurring. McGrain is the creative director at the Lost Bird Project. In addition to the Passenger Pigeon, sculpture memorials have been dedicated to the Carolina Parakeet, Labrador Duck, Great Auk, and Heath Hen.
Invitation to Dance by Kent Ullberg
The sculpture of a Whooping Crane by Kent Ullberg was unveiled in May 2018 in honor of George Archibald, PhD ’77. Archibald is the co-founder of the International Crane Foundation and winner of the Cornell Lab’s Arthur A. Allen Award, which recognizes significant contributions to ornithology. He dedicated his life to the conservation of the world's cranes. Archibald and the crane foundation pioneered techniques in captive management and reintroduction of crane species, including the use of crane costumes, puppets, and courtship dance performances to induce successful reproduction in captive cranes. A native of Sweden, the sculplture's artist, Kent Ullberg, is an internationally recoginzed sculptor. He studied at the Swedish University College of Art and has worked at museums in Germany, Netherlands, France, Botswana, and Denver, Colorado. He has made his permantent home in Corpus Cristi, Texas. He creates enormous installations and previous works include a life-size bronze Mastodon placed outside the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
The Sapsucker Cairn by Andy Goldsworthy
To find the Sapsucker Cairn, follow the Hoyt-Pileated Trail, which begins across the road from the main entrance of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The cairn is located on the right just a few minutes down the trail. The construction of Sapsucker Cairn was funded by the Andrew D. White Professors-at-Large Program which began in 1965 to bring renowned scholars to Cornell to connect with students and faculty. The Andy Goldsworthy’s Sapsucker Cairn also marked the end of his eight-year term as an A.D. White Professor-at-Large. It is constructed out of nine tons of locally quarried sandstone.Andy Goldsworthy is a British environmental artist. He is known internationally for his work with site-specific sculpture, land art, and photography. His work expresses themes of impermanence, materiality and time. Goldsworthy crafts his installations out of natural materials including rocks, ice, branches, snow, leaves, bark, feathers and flower petals. His works have a temporary element, cognizant that the landscape is capable of change and challenging the belief that art should be made to be eternal.
