Climbing and soaring with a ruffle of feathers, a swoop, and a snap, birds can reveal a side just as wild as some of the more fearsome fellows in the animal kingdom. Wild abandon, quiet contemplation, and tender moments are caught on film and on display in the latest exhibit at the Wildling Museum.
“Wild Wings” came from a call for entries asking locals to showcase their talents on the subject of birds for the museum’s spring competition.
Entries were to reflect the mission of the Wildling Art Museum, which encourages the appreciation and preservation of wilderness areas through art, and the entries didn’t disappoint. In all, 230 submissions came in, and 25 winning entries were chosen to be included in the display that will be ready for viewing July 1 in the Goodall Education Center at the museum.
Marc Muench, a professional photographer; Karen Sinsheimer, director of photography at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art; and Stacey Otte, executive director of the Wildling, judged the competition.
The top three winning photographs were Antoinette Addison’s first-place Pure Love, which captured two penguins in an embrace; Chris Seaton’s second-place Owl, which reveals a stunning close up of an owl, seeming poised to take flight; and Carrie Kitley’s third-place Avila Watchman, a familiar face on the pier.
With so many stunning photographs to consider, honorable mentions were also given. Those included Michael Caroff’s Water Dance and Secretary 1, Lynn P. Kirst’s Patterned Wing, Ines Labunski Roberts’ I Am Watching You, and Bruce Straits’ Sandhill Cranes.
Other artists whose photographs were selected for exhibition include Morgan Ball, Terryl Bunn, Elaine Calvert, Richard R. Hansen, Sandy Harris, Brett Higgins, Jane Kametani, Richard Lindekens, Elizabeth Muraoka, Lillian Smith, and David Wight.
“Wild Wings” opens the window and directs our focus at a real wild bunch.
Arts Editor Shelly Cone is kind to our fine feathered friends. Send comments to scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jun 14-21, 2012.
