The Arboretum has welcomed six new guests to its grounds recently, and they are stirring up quite the chatter! These new additions known as the Avian Avatars were designed by The Myth Makers, Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein, and constructed using bamboo and other recycled materials to allow them to dissolve back into nature over time. These magnificent sculptures - some reaching 20 feet tall - represent a different native bird, and each have a unique story to tell about the history of Ohio and The Arboretum. Now that they’re here, we can’t wait for you to meet them. To learn more about their special qualities and the artist’s inspiration for each bird, continue reading below!
The Great Owl: The Great Owl takes a long view of time and place. This sculpture acknowledges that it is located on the unceded ancestral homelands of the Hopewell, Kaskaskia, Myaamia and Shawandasse Tula (Shawanwaki/Shawnee). The Great Owl strives to honor the contemporary lives of Indigenous peoples.
Standing comfortably at the top of a hill overlooking the grounds, The Great Owl is built with a bench inside for visitors to rest on. As you sit and contemplate this place, let us all appreciate the significance of the panoramic view surrounding The Dawes Arboretum and the many lives that have cherished this unique landscape.
The Great Owl was created in 2022 and is made of bamboo, wire ties and mixed media.
Towering: She stands head and shoulders above the rest, referencing two iconic Ohioans, the sandhill crane and Ann Hamilton.
Ohio Native and Columbus resident Ann Hamilton is an outstanding artist. She has received the National Medal of the Arts, a MacArthur Fellowship and the international honor of representing the United States in the 1999 Venice Biennale.
Our ability to perceive quality in nature begins, as in art, with the pretty. It expands through successive stages of the beautiful to values as yet uncaptured by language. The quality of cranes lies in this higher gamut, as yet beyond the reach of words.
-Aldo Leopold
Unlike the others, Towering is slightly off the paved trail. Visitors are encouraged to experience the incredible height and size of the structure by walking directly through it.
Towering was created in 2022 and is made of bamboo, wire ties and mixed media.
Bertie’s Peacock: The peacock is an extravagant bird with many different interpretations in myth and legend. They are a symbol of integrity and the beauty we can achieve when we endeavor to show our true colors. In Jewish lore, the peacock is a symbol for joy and creativity, whereas Chinese mythology associates the peacock with the sweet harmony of sound. For many, its magic iridescent feathers evoke the cosmos.
Beman Dawes’ passion for The Arboretum rivaled Bertie Burr Dawes’ vision for the gardens. She drew endless delight researching every living thing suitable to a formal garden including peacocks. From her journal: “Their first food was a purple violet, and after spurning my bread crumbs, they settled in the Lily of the Valley bed, then nipped off the Poet’s Narcissus. Food for the Gods, surely.”
Bertie’s Peacock includes three rows of feathers that are designed to be tunnels for visitors to walk through. The feathers also include smaller tunnels that little ones can explore as well!
Bertie’s Peacock was created in 2021 and is made of bamboo, wire ties and mixed media.
Love Long Last: Northern Cardinals are social creatures. They mate for life and enjoy romantic partnerships. Males feed the females
beak to beak throughout their summer courtship and often sing softly to each other. Without equal, their popularity, vibrant colors and melodic songs have made them the state bird of Ohio.
In folklore Cardinals have great significance. The belief that Cardinals are spiritual messengers exists in many cultures. They are seen as harbingers of good health, renewal, and loving relationships. Whether it is an omen or just a delight, it is evident that sighting a red cardinal makes everyone happy.
These two birds stand independently but evoke a powerful camaraderie and friendship. Their eyes are locked on one another as they sit on opposite sides of the trail.
Love Long Last was created in 2019 and is made of bamboo, wire ties and mixed media.
The Gentleman: This Eastern Bluebird is named in honor of Manasseh Cutler (1742 –1823) the great grandfather of Arboretum co-founder Beman Gates Dawes. Mr. Cutler is considered a founder of Ohio University who wrote the Ordinance of 1787 that prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory.
Manasseh was a renowned amateur botanist. His writings reveal a fascination for the social aspects of gardens and a deep respect for the culture that trees and gardens nurture.
Beman Dawes brought this vision to life when he established The Arboretum. The Eastern Bluebird is one of many birds who rely on the abundant tree life of The Dawes Arboretum to build their cavity nests. But he is by far the most dapper of them all.
You will notice The Gentleman when you drive through the front entrance of The Arboretum as he patiently waits to greet each guest at the Gatehouse.
The Gentleman was created in 2022 and is made of bamboo, wire ties and mixed media.
We are very excited to have the Avian Avatar exhibit on display along the Parkwoods Trail through March 2023. Plan your visit today to meet these spectacular Avian Avatars in person! You will not want to miss them.