Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene is a large-scale civic engagement art project comprised of over 10,000 bird replicas made by the citizens of Chicago and beyond. Through free public workshops, participants are given a blank bird body, assigned a specific bird that died in 2023 from window collisions along Chicago’s lakefront, and are led through the crafting process to create a replica. Embracing an environmentally sustainable practice, we use donated fabric scraps that would otherwise end up in the landfill. Birds are tagged with their common and scientific name, date of death and the name of the artist. Information and materials for making home windows safer for birds are included at the workshops. The finished artwork will be a “red carpet” of birds measuring the length of a football field and exhibited throughout the city to raise awareness about bird safe windows and celebrate the over 300 species of birds that fly through our city. The workshops are appropriate for teens, adults, and families with children age 6+. It is a wonderful way for parents to connect with kids through a crafting event while discussing wildlife conservation.

This workshop has a drop-in structure over 3 hours, and bird crafting takes 20 - 30 minutes.

As a sustainable artist, Holly Greenberg uses invasive plants, donated fabric scraps and discarded waste materials in her large-scale, eco-conscious installations.  Integral to her practice is the civic engagement component in which citizens can lend a hand in the production of the work while learning about environmental initiatives such as habitat restoration through native gardening, and bird safe building practices. She is a professor of art at Syracuse University where she teaches courses in printmaking, drawing and sustainable arts practices.