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Fulvous
Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor).
By Andrew Jackson Grayson. These birds inhabit
shallow freshwater ponds and subsist on the seeds
of grass and weeds. |
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Aside from his great contribution
to the field of ornithology, Andrew Jackson Grayson's
story reads like a classic tale of adventure involving
perilous journeys, grandiose dreams, and contact
with an emperor. In 1846, Grayson and his family
journeyed to California across the Overland Trail.
Inspired
by Audubon's monumental work Birds of America,
which had not included birds of the west, Grayson
set out in 1853 to make a systematic depiction
of the birds from the Sierra Nevada to the Pacific
Ocean. Like Audubon, he was untrained, but through
tireless dedication and discipline he developed
his brilliant and naturalistic dry-brush technique,
thought by some to be superior to Audubon's. By
1858, Grayson's work had received public recognition,
won first place at the California State Fair,
and had been published in several magazines.
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Grayson
continued to paint as well as compile copious field
notes in both California and Mexico until his death
of yellow fever in 1869.
Developed
by the Napa Valley Museum, the exhibition includes magnificent
fine art plates from Grayson's Birds of the Pacific
Slope. Plates in the exhibition are from the full-size
folio of bird portraits published by Arion Press. The
exhibition explores the life of Grayson and the history
of his era, as well as themes of the science of ornithology
and the artistic rendering of Grayson's work. “Audubon
of the West” is a wonderful example of the interaction
between art, history, natural science, and environmental
issues.
The “Audubon of the West”
exhibition includes:
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20 Grayson bird plates mounted in wood/plexiglass panels
holding three interpretive labels with bird photograph
and range map (runs approximately 200 linear feet)
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18 additional framed Grayson bird plates
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Text panels, labels, and maps
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Exhibition manual
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Press kit
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Education materials
Rental fee:
$3,500 + shipping for an 8-week booking
Security:
Moderate
This exhibition
is no longer traveled by CERA. For more information
please contact info@ceraexhibits.org.
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