Your CBBG gallery committee has a unique and fabulous opportunity for you to participate in this year. CBBG member Candace Pratt has been working on a large-scale installation project, and we have been invited to collaborate. The work is titled “Just Listen.” It is an exhibition that advocates appreciating and listening to nature with the intent of merging art and science for an interactive experience.
Candace was inspired by hearing the birds in her backyard on the Merlin app and dove into research on how many birds live in her area, what their projected lifespan is in the midst of climate change and loss of habitat, as well as how invisible this common beauty can be. Artists who participate will get access to her full proposal and can read more in-depth about the project.
Overview: The installation will include a large tree with a natural dyed-silk canopy. The Damascus Fiber Arts School will weave spectrograms of the bird songs. And the Guild will be weaving bird nests!
What You Need to Know:
The “bird nests” need to be made of natural materials. We are looking for random weave, not basketry weave. They need to be vessel-shaped with a cavity to signal/signify that these are nests.
They can be in multiple sizes – think about birds! – but also must display well.
Nests will be displayed throughout the exhibit: on pedestals, walls, some may hang from the ceiling, or be in the tree. Placement will be determined by the installation team with a focus on the overall aesthetic of the installation not on highlighting any specific work.
Deadline: We would like 5-10 nests completed by September 15, 2026 for photographs. All nests must be completed by January 1, 2027. Details on where and when to deliver your nests will come closer to the deadlines to the participating artists.
Related Activities: CBBG will be hosting a gathering, where weavers who work in random weave techniques will be available to weave near and ask questions of. There will be a harvest aspect to this gathering as well. Specific details will be sent to participating artists closer to the gathering.
If you would like to participate: Email Rose at ColumbiaBasinBasketryGuild@gmail.com and say “Yes I’d like to participate in Just Listen.”
Note: An installation is different than a gallery show, in that the show is designed to be a cohesive whole. It is less about highlighting each piece of art and more about creating a single piece or experience made of many parts. This is a unique and very exciting opportunity for us.
We are thankful for Candace’s beautiful vision and work to make this a reality. We are so thrilled to get to offer this to all of you and hope you will participate.
If you have questions please direct them to Rose Covert, at ColumbiaBasinBasketryGuild@gmail.com