Audubon’s Birds Fly into the Gallery

Gena+Siepel+visited+Peddie+to+display+her+artwork+of+bird+taxidermy.

Rajae McClinek '15

Gena Siepel visited Peddie to display her artwork of bird taxidermy.

Tanvi Dange '17, A&E editor

Peddie welcomed artist Gina Siepel into the Mariboe Gallery on April 1. Her project, Audubon’s Birds, includes drawings, text from ornithologist JJ Audubon’s original field notes, and a sculpture of Audubon himself that doubles as a bird feeder/observation station. Although a new visiting artist will replace her work next month, this sculpture will remain behind as a gift.

A unique twist on this month’s gallery opening was the inclusion of a panel discussion consisting of Siepel, local ornithologist Arian Giudicello, and Peddie’s own David Tattoni ’16—an avid bird watcher and environmental enthusiast.

“The panel was a great way to show that with art, there’s more to talk about than just the piece itself,” art teacher Andrew Harrison said. “It’s a great way of looking at things through art and science.”

Students similarly appreciated the interactive panel.

“The panel was such a great idea!” Sharanya Thondapu ’17 said. “It was very interesting and I learned a lot about birds and how the artist used different elements of history in her work. I think there should be a panel at every art gallery because it’s a great way to learn about the elements behind the art.”

The honors studio art students will be displaying their theses in the gallery next month.