Avian Avatars at the Dawes Arboretum
The Dawes Arboretum welcomes The Myth Makers for the largest art exhibition in its history
The Myth Makers build six monumental bamboo structures inspired by The Arboretum
(Newark, OH) – The Dawes Arboretum welcomes six monumental sculptures from artists The Myth Makers, with the exhibit scheduled to open to the public on May 27 2022. The bamboo birds—some standing more than 20 feet tall—are currently being built for The Dawes Arboretum by The Myth Makers, Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein, in New Jersey at an industrial scale artist residency, Gardenship. These will be the tallest art pieces ever shown at The Dawes Arboretum.
Built with bamboo and mixed media, the sculptures, coined “Avian Avatars” by Dodson and Moerlein, will be placed throughout The Arboretum and remain until Spring 2023. Made from natural materials, the sculptures are site-specific and are meant to slowly disappear into nature over the course of their life.
“The Myth Makers are inspiring artists and we could not be more thrilled to welcome their work to The Arboretum,” said Luke Messinger, Executive Director for The Dawes Arboretum. “These sculptures are the first of their kind on our grounds and we are excited for guests to see them among our beautiful landscapes.”
The Myth Makers’ inspiration comes from a mutual love of nature. For Dodson, that’s specifically the mysterious nature of birds, and for Moerlein it’s events that leave visual marks in nature. Each sculpture coming to The Dawes Arboretum will represent an iconic local bird, and each will have its own historical backstory: “Love Long Last” is a pair of Northern Cardinals representing The Arboretum’s founders; “Bertie’s Peacock” is a peacock representing Bertie Dawes’ passion for the magnificent bird; “The Gentleman” is an Eastern Bluebird in honor of Beman’s Great-Grandfather, Manasseh Cutler and his love of trees; “Towering” is a Sandhill Crane representing the iconic Columbus artist Ann Hamilton; and “The Great Owl” is a Great Horned Owl that acknowledges the original inhabitants of this landscape and the significance of the panoramic views surrounding the Arboretum.
Dodson and Moerlein have completed more than 50 projects together internationally and have received multiple national awards and recognitions. The duo will travel to Newark two weeks prior to the opening to finish up the building process and make sure their Avian Avatars are secured and assembled.
“The Avian Avatars we are preparing for The Dawes Arboretum are for The Arboretum,” Dodson said. “Andy and I look at the entire community when we are gathering inspiration. Anyone who sees our work at The Dawes Arboretum will recognize each bird from their own story. They will know these sculptures aren’t just a passing installation—they will know they are meant to be there.”
The Gentleman
This Eastern Bluebird is named in honor of Manasseh Cutler (1742 –1823) the great grandfather of arboretum 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.
2022. Bamboo, wire ties and mixed media 15 ft tall.
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 stands as witness of the long history of racism and oppression in the United States and strives to honor the contemporary lives of Indigenous peoples.
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.
2022. Bamboo, wire ties and mixed media, 25 ft tall
Bertie’s Peacock
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.”
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.
2021. Bamboo, wire ties and mixed media, 25 ft tall
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
2022. Bamboo, wire ties and mixed media, 30 ft tall.
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. These two birds stand independently but evoke a powerful camaraderie and friendship.
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.
2019. Bamboo, wire ties and mixed media, 20 ft tall each.
About The Dawes Arboretum
Founded in 1929 by Beman and Bertie Dawes, The Dawes Arboretum is a living museum celebrating the history and beauty of trees and nature. Located in Newark, Ohio (30 miles east of Columbus), The Dawes Arboretum offers paths, trails and boardwalks to explore along with historical and art exhibitions and educational programming. The Dawes Arboretum is recognized by the National Registry of Historic Places and is open daily. Admission is free to members and $10/adults, $5/children ages 5-15 and free/children under 5 years of age. Additional information on visiting, programming, history and membership is available at www.dawesarb.org.
Update: The Columbus Dispatch reviewed this exhibit in their Sunday Edition on June 5th, Impressive king-sized bird sculptures a feather in artistic duo's caps with a full length article by Nancy Gilson. Accompanying this review is a slide show of 16 installation images by the photographer, Joshua Bickel.