Art Exhibits

Artwork from the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery

Nestcraft

Mara Silver, Jennifer Clary-Lemon, Marcel O’Gorman 

When humans dispersed across the landscape they unintentionally benefitted Barn Swallows and Cliff Swallows by creating structures such as barns, outbuildings, and bridges, which these species use as nesting sites. In spite of this, today both species are declining across significant portions of their ranges, due to habitat loss but also due to other anthropogenic factors, including climate change, pesticide use, and agricultural intensification. Mara Silver, with a background in both ceramics and ornithology, has found that in spite of threats to the swallows, colonies can rebound when habitat is improved at the nesting-site level. With the ceramic nests in this exhibition, Silver has achieved a process of co-creating swallow habitats. 

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The complete Nestcraft exhibit will be on display at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery May 13 – June 12, 2025.