Call to Artists: Birds and Myth

Text over a sepia-toned photograph. Text reads Birds and Myth / meanings metaphors and guides / a call to artists. The background is the bristle-ends of 7 paint brushes, radiating out from the center.

Birds and Myth: meanings, metaphors, & guides

We seek to understand the world. Birds are some of our teachers, not only through our senses and observations, but also through our stories about them. These stories can be factual accounts, broader myths, or something in between. A myth might be a traditional legend, a widely-held-but-false belief, or a representation (or misrepresentation) of something true. A myth can offer insight into who we are, individually or collectively. A myth can offer us ways to behave and ideals to live by. What understanding of birds and humans have you gained through myths you have heard, told, or invented?

The Birds of Vermont Museum’s 2025 art show is centered on these ideas. We invite art submissions that bring birds and their meanings into art to retell an old story, weave several together, represent your beliefs, and/or create a myth for the future.
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Ongoing: Storytime in the Nestlings Nook

Join us for stories about birds and more. Intended for pre-schoolers but all ages are welcome. Stories are followed by a craft project, music or nature walk, depending on the topic and the weather. Got a favorite book about birds? Share it with us!

Free with admission; donations welcome • Pre-registration is not necessary

Summer storytime dates:
Tuesday, June 10  •  10:30am – 11:30am
Tuesday, July 8 •  10:30am – 11:30am
Tuesday, August 12 •  10:30am – 11:30am

Storytime in the Nestlings Nook at the Birds of Vermont Museum
Storytime in the Nestlings Nook, second Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.

 

 

Fishing for … Bird Stories

From fly fishing to casting a hooked worm off a dock, there are many ways to catch a fish. While you have waited for that tug on the line, have you been an audience of one to the great sky-dance of ospreys overhead or the gentle nudging of Canada Geese as they guide their goslings along the riverbank to detour past the rapids?

If you have a Vermont-based, real-life, birding-while-fishing tale to tell, I would love to hear from you. I intend to include a variety of stories in an article I am writing for a local publication.

Anyone interested in sharing is encouraged t0 e-mail or phone the Birds of Vermont Museum during this month of December with contact information. I will follow up to schedule a time to speak with you. Thanks so much!!

Allison Gergely, Museum Educator
(802) 434-2167