"The Lost Bird Project": Remembering What’s Gone
Review of The Lost Bird Project at Bellevue Botanical Gardens
Written by TeenTix Newsroom Writer S. G.
Edited by Teen Editorial Staff Member MILO MILLER
Stepping into the Bellevue Botanical Garden in the fall, visitors are instantly met with a burst of vibrant colors. Orange, yellow, and red leaves are scattered across the landscaped gravel path. Further down that path, a variety of breathtaking flowers spread throughout the garden, which consists of several smaller, distinct gardens that showcase different types of flowers and plants. Among the beauty, The Lost Bird Project exhibit blends art, nature, and environmental awareness, creating a powerful and reflective experience that honors extinct North American birds.
Winding along the brightly colored garden path, visitors come upon a clearing with five black bronze bird statues, each four to six feet tall, arranged in a semicircle along the edge of the space. The stark contrast of the gigantic black birds against the lush greenery is powerful, due to the simplicity of their forms, their size, and their blackness, which contrasts with the rest of the garden. These larger-than-life statues rest upon a patch of bright green grass surrounded by enchanting flowers and a colorful backdrop of trees and bushes. Within the exhibit, birds chirp and hop around in the nearby foliage, as if enjoying the company of the sculptures.
The Lost Bird Project exhibit showcases the extinction of the passenger pigeon, the Carolina parakeet, the Labrador duck, the great auk, and the heath hen. Between 1844 and 1932, all five species of birds disappeared due to the loss of biodiversity as a result of human activity. This exhibit honors these lost North American birds by preserving their memory and highlighting the tragedy of modern extinction, even in today’s technologically advanced world.
The artist, Todd McGrain, envisioned the bronze sculptures to serve as gentle, striking, and optimistic reminders of our current world. Their life-sized scale creates a sense of physical connection, and together they feel both sorrowful and uplifting. The sculptures push us to acknowledge the permanence of what we’ve lost, urge us to remember these birds, and highlight our responsibility to prevent more species from extinction. This reminder of both loss and responsibility ultimately points us toward hope, showing that meaningful conservation efforts are still possible.
Seeing the sculptures in person was a deeply moving experience. Their physical size and stillness created a quiet emotional pull that made me imagine the birds as they once were when alive, moving, and part of the world. Standing in front of them felt both beautiful and heartbreaking, and that contrast made the experience so powerful for me. Extinction is a serious issue close to my heart, affecting countless species of birds as well as many other living creatures. I appreciate that this artist brought the exhibit to the public’s attention, helping people better understand the ongoing extinctions happening in our world. I'm hoping this exhibit will inspire more people to take action in protecting our wildlife.
The Lost Bird Project transforms the Bellevue Botanical Garden into both a sanctuary and a sobering reminder, blending art, nature, and environmental awareness to create an unforgettable experience. Seeing it firsthand reminded me of how much impact awareness and care for the environment can have. This exhibit is worth a visit for anyone who appreciates birds and is willing to confront the reality that many have disappeared.
Lead photo courtesy of Michael Cortez ©2015, The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University.
The TeenTix Newsroom is a group of teen writers led by the Teen Editorial Staff. The Teen Editorial Staff is made up of 5 teens who curate the review portion of the TeenTix blog. For each review, Newsroom writers work individually with a teen editor to polish their writing for publication. Each month, Newsroom writers have the opportunity to pitch additional arts events like this one, expanding the TeenTix Blog's coverage.
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