The Kent State University Museum will present For the Birds from April 13, 2018, to Feb. 3, 2019, in the Stager and Blum Galleries. The exhibition will display fashion and decorative pieces of art inspired by birds. The museum is located at 515 Hilltop Drive on the Kent Campus.
This year has been declared the Year of the Bird as it marks the centennial of the passing of the Migratory Bird Act in the United States. In the 20th century, the popularity of bird feathers on hats led to a fear of bird extinction, and it “sparked the movement to organize and protect bird species,” says Sarah Hume, Ph.D., curator of the exhibition, thus the creation of organizations, such as the Audubon Society, and the Migratory Bird Act.
To celebrate this achievement, For the Birds will showcase various forms that birds have taken on in artistic expression. Dr. Hume explains that “there is such a variety of different species and different ways of using them in arts and fashion.” From garments worn in China and India to jewelry and hats in Europe and the Americas, birds have held symbolic meaning to a variety of cultures throughout time and around the world.
The exhibition will explore the levels of meaning that birds can convey and will be organized by type of birds, including peacocks, ostriches, cranes, roosters and eagles.
An opening tea reception and media preview will be held April 13 from 3-5 p.m. The cost to attend is $15. Call 330-672-3450 to make a reservation.
The Kent State University Museum will be hosting four other exhibits when For the Birds opens.
Museum hours are 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday except Thursday when the museum closes at 8:45 p.m. and Sunday when it opens at noon. General admissions cost $5, $4 for senior citizens (55+ years), $3 for students and children (7-18 years) and free admission for children under 7. Admission is free for all Kent State students, faculty and staff and for members of the public on Sundays. Parking is always free.