AFC SILENT SKIES MURAL

URGENT LETTER OF APPEAL BY BRENT COOKE
 

IMPORTANT UPDATE: We have just passed the deadline for completing artwork for the Silent Skies Mural - centerpiece of the 27th International Ornithological Congress. Thank you to all who have participated and fulfilled their commitments.  For those still completing artwork - please DO finish, upload and send asap. Mural registration remains open with a goal of completing remaining species for the unveiling (including any artworks received by Monday, August 13). 
 

Following is a letter from fellow AFC artist and Board Member, Brent Cooke...

Dear Fellow Artists,

Well, we are now into the home stretch for completion of the Silent Skies Mural, with just 46 days to go before the opening of the Congress. The good news is that we have nearly 500 of the species "tiles" done or claimed. The bad news is that we are about +/- 200 species short, and this is why I'm sending out this appeal to all AFC painters out there, asking for your help. We need as many folks as possible to take on a few of the small 8"x 8" bird portraits. Not everyone usually paints birds, it's true, but it's important that we, as an organization concerned with wildlife conservation, make a very visual statement with this incredible mural. Silent Skies is a world first! No other group has attempted such a visual representation of this serious issue and we know it will have the press buzzing wherever it goes. The mural underscores our belief that art is a means for creating conversations that result in positive change.
 
These paintings do not need to be field guide accurate or perfectly placed within an exact replica of their habitat. They just need to be a reasonable artistic interpretation of the species.
 
I have seen many of you paint birds very quickly on regular canvas, so maybe, if you think about it, it wouldn't take too much of your valuable time to knock out a couple of small 8x8's.  If everyone willing to help out at this critical juncture just took on a couple (or more...) birds from this point, we surely can complete a mural which will make us all proud! It would be a shame to see this 100' long spectacular mural with blank spaces where endangered (678 in total) birds should be because we failed to ask enough for your help. Unless completed, it might be like a gorgeous smile with a few missing teeth...
 
So please, if you can, commit to taking on a few more species, the entire organization will be grateful. Instructions to all the details regarding species left to do, painting size and submission requirements, etc. are at the bottom of this email. Thank you in advance for your willingness to step up and help out.
 
Sincerely,
 
Brent Cooke
AFC Signature Member & Board Member
 

ABOUT THE SILENT SKIES MURAL PROJECT

In early 2017, we made a call to all AFC members to participate in the creation of  a collaborative "Mega Mural" composed of individual 8" x 8" paintings of the 678 endangered species of birds of the world. The 100-foot artistic creation, titled  "Silent Skies", will be installed as the artistic centerpiece at the Vancouver Convention Centre for the 27th International Ornithological Congress ( www.iocongress2018.org ) and for the 2018 Artists for Conservation Festival, August 22-25, 2018.  We are also working with several interested parties to tour the mural in 2019-2021.

Some key points about this project:
  • No entry fees to participate;
  • Raises funds for bird conservation;
  • Revenue opportunity for artists (from original/print sales) ;
  • Supports AFC youth education program;
  • Participate in the world's largest bird art installation and contribute to the centrepiece of the world's most important bird event;
  • International tour planned (2019-2021);
  • Opportunity for sculptors to participate.
Full details are online at the Silent Skies Artist Registration.  To register for the Silent Skies Mural project, follow these simple steps:
  1. Go to http://festival.artistsforconservation.org/project/register. Enter your name and email. Enter secret code: "iocongress2018" (no quotes). You will receive an email confirming your account creation with a log-in link and username / password for future reference.
     
  2. Click on " Mural Registration" button and review the terms & conditions.
      
  3. Click on an unclaimed species from the list. Use the search filter if needed. 
     
  4. Claim your species by clicking on the check box and Submit button under "Commit to represent a species" section. 

(if you have NOT yet registered)

(if you have already registered)

(open to everyone)

(Details in the 2018 Artist Prospectus)

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected]. 
 
AFC is the world's leading group of artists supporting the environment. Dedicated to nurture, promote and leverage its world-class community of artists in support of our natural world, AFC drives its mission through three key programs: Art & Environmental Education; Field Work & Research; and Artist Development. Visit the AFC website.