The sidewalks of U.C. Berkeley blossomed with colorful bird life on Sunday — a chalk art aviary that was part of the first-ever Berkeley Bird Festival.
Golden Gate Bird Alliance invited artists and nature sketchers, adults and kids, casual doodlers and “me? I can’t draw!” passersby to join in creating chalk art images of birds on two campus plazas, in front of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and the Li Ka Shing Center. The results were fantastic. But the process was equally fantastic—watching art emerge, bit by bit, smudge by smudge, out of bland concrete walkways.
Many thanks to all the artists who participated! And to our festival co-sponsor, the California Institute for Community, Art, & Nature, and to the U.C. Berkeley Chancellor’s Community Partnership Fund, which supported the Festival. We’ll give a broader report on the Festival in an upcoming blog post, but for now here’s a gallery of chalk art images.
GGBA’s own Clay Anderson kicked the chalk art program off with a magnificent Peregrine Falcon, inspired by the falcon pair that nest on the UC Campanile.
Teamwork to create a Belted Kingfisher.
Red-tailed Hawk with a message: Don’t use rodenticides!
Creation of an Allen’s Hummingbird. Some of the more experienced chalk artists used brushes and water to create a smooth, blended look.
Bufflehead by GGBA board member Amy Chong. She managed to capture its iridescence!A “wild parrot of Telegraph Hill”Peregrine Falcons were a popular subject!
Grant Yang creates a Lazuli Bunting
Grant Yang’s finished Lazuli BuntingAn Ivory-billed Woodpecker -— extinct in nature but alive on the UC sidewalk — by Brenda HelmNukupu’u, a Hawaiian honeycreeper that is most likely extinct, by Michael HelmThis young artist drew habitat as well as a bird
Creating a Common Loon
Bonaparte’s Gull chalk artA resplendent peacockPeacock!Pileated Woodpecker and chicksNative American-style ThunderbirdThis artist depicted the evolution of birds from other dinosaursA much larger-than-life hummingbirdPainted Bunting
More young artists at work
Artists spread out, making the whole walkway their canvasThe author, one of those “me? I can’t draw” people, with her Western BluebirdsAt the end of the day, time to clean up. Thank you, Clay and all the participants! There were many more beautiful chalk birds than we could fit in this blog post.
Photos By Ilana DeBare and Ryan Nakano.
Our Mission
To inspire people to protect Bay Area birds and our shared natural environment.
Our Vision
A world where birds, wildlife, and all people flourish together.
The Golden Gate Bird Alliance is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Our federal tax ID number is 94-6086896
Contact Us
Golden Gate Bird Alliance 2150 Allston Way Suite 210 Berkeley, California 94704
