A new sidewalk art installation titled “Bird Walk” has been completed at Phinizy Center & Nature Park, welcoming visitors at the entrance to the Cattail Trail from the visitor parking lot. Designed by Arts Council Gallery & Public Art Director and local artist Heather Dunaway, the installation was painted by Dunaway alongside fellow staff member and graphic artist Zoe Beard-Ortiz.

 

The series of stenciled birds depicts herons and egrets, which are commonly found at Phinizy. They are shown in various poses that mirror the movements of the birds, both standing and in flight. The stencils were created utilizing the Arts Council’s Creative Resource Hub (Lending Library) Cricut smart cutting machine. This resource, along with dozens of materials and tools, is available for artists who are members of the Greater Augusta Arts Council as one of many membership perks. In addition to its visual impact and acting as a test for in-house stencil making, Bird Walk served as a pilot project testing Aexcel’s BioStripe paint, which the company identifies as the world’s first soy alkyd, latex striping and marking traffic paint. Made with renewable materials such as soybean oil, BioStripe is designed to be environmentally safe, durable, and appropriate for use near water systems.

 

The installation was intentionally created to accentuate the natural beauty of Phinizy while simultaneously evaluating the paint’s suitability for future sidewalk and street murals, including the Greater Augusta Arts Council’s annual Storm Drain Mural Project. Phinizy Center for Water Sciences is an active partner in that initiative alongside the Richmond County Board of Education and the City of Augusta. All partners are excited about the future use of this environmentally conscious medium in public art installations throughout the community.

 

Bird Walk is open to public viewing during park hours, which are 7AM –  7PM for October through March and 7AM – 8PM for April through September at 1858 Lock and Dam Rd. Augusta, GA 30906. For more information on public art projects in Augusta’s River Region, visit www.augustaarts.com