California-based artist and science illustrator Jane Kim will complete a mural at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum and lead artist residency programs, Nov. 9-18, during the Museum’s annual flagship “Birds in Art” exhibition. During Kim’s “Mural, Mural on the Wall” project, visitors will observe her at work in the Museum as she finishes a commissioned painting illustrating how bird feathers get their color. During her residency, Kim also will lead a “Birds in Art” gallery walk, a full-day scientific illustration workshop for teens and adults, and an evening presentation about her work and artistic process.

Kim specializes in creating large-scale public installations, and her paintings capture the awe-inspiring realism of the natural world. She received widespread acclaim for her Cornell University Lab of Ornithology mural celebrating the evolution and diversity of birds. After her evening presentation at the Woodson Art Museum, Kim will sign copies of “The Wall of Birds,” which chronicles the Lab of Ornithology project.

Support for “Mural, Mural on the Wall” is provided by a $10,000 grant award from the National Endowment for the Arts. “The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to ensuring all Americans have access to the arts, whether they are in a small or large, rural or urban area,” said NEA Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter. “We are proud to support organizations such as the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum that are providing opportunities for more people to experience and engage in the arts in their communities.”

“The Woodson Art Museum is honored to receive support from the National Endowment for the Arts as part of their Arts Engagement in American Communities grant program,” commented Woodson Art Museum assistant director Matt Foss. “Arts Engagement in American Communities strives to support diverse artistic projects in underrepresented geographic areas. The Woodson’s hosting of Jane Kim in residence is a perfect fit for this program.”

With its mission “to enhance lives through art,” the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum continually strives for excellence in providing audiences with quality art experiences via the Museum’s collection, changing exhibitions, and related educational programming for all, while maintaining its commitment to always-free admission. As north central Wisconsin’s only full-service art museum, the Woodson serves a largely rural, 15-county geographic area. Its diverse changing exhibitions and related education programs have garnered regional, national, and international recognition. The Museum’s inaugural 1976 exhibition, “Birds of the Lakes, Fields and Forests,” evolved into the competitive international annual juried “Birds in Art.” The Institute of Museum and Library Services recognized the high quality of the Woodson Art Museum’s community engagement by awarding the Woodson the 2017 National Medal for Museum Service, the nation’s highest honor given to museums for service to their communities. The Woodson was one of five museums, and one of only two art museums in the country, to receive the 2017 honor.

In addition to completing the mural at the Woodson Art Museum November 9-18, Kim – who also is founder of Ink Dwell, a studio designed to inspire people to love and protect the earth – will lead the following programs:
•“Through the Eyes of an Illustrator: Gallery Walk,” Saturday, Nov. 10, 1-2 p.m. – Join artist and science illustrator Jane Kim for a fresh perspective in the “Birds in Art” galleries where she reflects upon the avian subjects and artworks on view.

•“Scientific Illustration: Teen & Adult Workshop,” Sunday, Nov. 11, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. – Teens and adults interested in learning more about the art form of natural-history illustration receive instruction from certified scientific illustrator Jane Kim, whose lifelike murals of the natural world garner national praise for their elegance, accuracy, and artful storytelling. Total fee: $75 for members; $90 for nonmembers; cost includes lunch and materials. Call 715.845.7010 to register.

•“Behind The Wall of Birds: Presentation & Book Signing,” Thursday, Nov. 15, 5:30-6:30 p.m. – Join Jane Kim as she tells the story of her 2,500-square-foot mural for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology depicting the evolution of birds. The two-and-a-half-year journey to complete this monumental mural is documented in a new book, “The Wall of Birds: One Planet, 243 Families, 375 Million Years,” published by Harper Collins. A book signing follows Jane’s presentation; books available for purchase at the Museum.

Additional support for the Jane Kim mural project comes from the Community Arts Grant Program of the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin, with funds provided by the Wisconsin Arts Board, a state agency; the Community Foundation; and the B.A. & Esther Greenheck Foundation.

For details about other “Birds in Art,” programs, check the events calendar at https://www.lywam.org/events-calendar/. For more information about other Woodson Art Museum artist residencies, check the Museum’s visiting artists webpage: https://www.lywam.org/visiting-artists/

For more information, visit www.lywam.org, e-mail the Museum at [email protected], call 715-845-7010, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.