I have always loved words, various visual media, and art that both informs, engages, and invites interaction between the viewer and the piece.  There is an urgency for this invitation in today’s society as people seem to find it increasingly difficult to interact in person.  I am also interested in our relationship to nature and the impact our lifestyles have on the natural world: in this particular instance, birds.

The title of my submission is "One Billion."  It is a three-dimensional assemblage of a birdhouse with a nest and a human-made window inside.  The movement of the window is a symbol of birds in flight.  Sadly, though, windows are also responsible for up to one billion bird deaths a year in the U.S. due to birds colliding with the glass.  The far interior wall of the birdhouse is covered with a National Geographic map depicting bird migrations.  This is visible through the window.  The viewer’s face is reflected in the window as they read Gandhi’s quote on the glass: “Whatever you do in life may not seem significant to you, but it is most important that you do it.”  The quote serves as both a decal to deter birds and a reminder for the viewer to take action...no matter how insignificant that action might seem. The rear exterior of the birdhouse is covered in another collection of National Geographic birds – and flying over them is Gandhi’s quote, again and again: reminding us to do something.  In the attic of the birdhouse are squares of paper for the viewer to take. These papers provide information about the importance of birds and resources about ways to protect birds.