WASHINGTON, DC.- “The Singing and the Silence: Birds in Contemporary Art” examines mankind’s relationship to birds and the natural world through 46 works by 12 major contemporary American artists. The artists featured in the exhibition are David Beck, Rachel Berwick, Lorna Bieber, Barbara Bosworth, Joann Brennan, Petah Coyne, Walton Ford, Laurel Roth Hope, Paula McCartney, James Prosek, Fred Tomaselli and Tom Uttech. The exhibition is on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., from Oct. 31 through Feb. 22, 2015, and is organized by Joanna Marsh, The James Dicke Curator of Contemporary Art. The museum is the only venue for the exhibition.

Berwick’s cast-crystal sculpture, “Blueshift,” is on public display for the first time as part of the exhibition, as is a temporary, site-specific mural created by Prosek for the entrance of the exhibition space.

“The Smithsonian American Art Museum is the ideal venue for this exhibition, both as a museum committed to exhibiting living artists and as part of the Smithsonian Institution, where science, art and history intersect,” said Betsy Broun, the Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

The presentation of “The Singing and the Silence” coincides with two significant environmental anniversaries—the extinction of the passenger pigeon in 1914 and the establishment of the Wilderness Act in 1964—events which highlight mankind’s journey from conquest of the land to conservation of it. Although human activity has affected many species, birds in particular embody these competing impulses. Inspired by the confluence of these events, the exhibition explores how artists working today use avian imagery to meaningfully connect with the natural world, among other themes.

While artists historically have created images of birds for the purposes of scientific inquiry, taxonomy or spiritual symbolism, the artists featured in “The Singing and the Silence” instead share a common interest in birds as inspiration for exploring humans’ earthbound existence. The artworks on display consider themes such as contemporary culture’s evolving relationship with the natural world, the steady rise in environmental consciousness and the rituals of birding. The exhibition’s title is drawn from the poem “The Bird at Dawn” by Harold Monro.

“At its core, this exhibition is about what birds tell us about ourselves and our connection to our planet,” said Marsh. “Together the works create a collective portrait of our own species as informed by our relationship with birds.”