Written by Janet Stuart, AiR Program Artist
Photos by Janet Stuart, Lynn Fox, and Alexa Martinez
Students in schools across Harney County enjoyed making art to celebrate the annual bird migration. The Artist in Residence program was again a huge success in reaching every elementary school classroom in Harney County including homeschool and charter school students. That totaled nearly 450 youth this year! Student art will be on display in Burns in April during the Bird Festival.
Our hour-long lesson begins with a discussion of migrating birds such as sandhill cranes, snow geese and pintail ducks. Joining me are Alexa Martinez, Wildlife Specialist for Malheur NWR, and Doug Furr, school board member and volunteer. Students are reminded that this region provides critical habitat for migrating birds that need rest, food and shelter.
To begin the art, students drew from direct observation using their chosen bird photo. Working from direct observation is a powerful way to look closely at the unique characteristics of their bird. After outlining with a sharpie marker, students added color using crayons, colored pencils or watercolor. Their artistic styles varied from loose and expressive to slow and deliberate and each work of art reflected the student’s unique creativity.
For the first time, AIR participated in the Science Discovery Day for rural schools which took place in Frenchglen. Having an art lesson about science and birds complemented the other Science Fair activities and was a perfect solution for how to reach all 47 students from remote schools in one place.
This was my second year working as the Artist in Residence. This year was equally fulfilling and inspiring as before. This unique opportunity not only allowed me to share my passion for teaching art but also to be immersed in the beauty and wildness of Harney County. The Artist in Residence Program is only possible with the support from the Friends of Malheur NWR and the Malheur Refuge’s commitment to fostering creativity and helping to develop in children a greater appreciation for the natural world around them.
SPECIAL NOTE: AiR is a Friends of Malheur NWR program with significant financial support from the Harney County Migratory Bird Festival. Early Bird registration fees in 2025 amounted to $2,500 which was directly applied to the expense of 2025 AiR program’s Artist Stipend.
