During my Fulbright stay in Taiwan, I offered a few activities besides university teaching to engage the public with my project about human-bird imagery and connect it with environmental concerns. At Chi-Nan University in Nantou I gave a slide talk about my artwork and my Taiwan research to students and professors, including ideas for how to get more involved in the community. And at two wonderful nearby institutions, Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts and Guandu Nature Park, I led hands-on workshops for volunteers to make sculptures from common recycled materials.
Read MoreAvians All Around—January 2019
As I travel outside Taipei, I am collecting even more bird stories and images. While in Nantou province in Taiwan’s central mountains to give a lecture at Chi-Nan University, I visited a sculpture park dedicated to self-taught stone-carver Yuan Lin.
Read MoreSightings in Taipei—Late December 2018
As my Fulbright time winds down, I have more sightings to share, in and outside Taipei, of human-bird connections past and present. One day the subway greeted me with photos of elegant birds of Taiwan.
Read MoreReal Birds — December 2018
While not a serious bird watcher, I’ve been fortunate to witness some of Taiwan’s endemic and migratory birds. When I applied for my Fulbright project, I knew Taiwan was a mecca for live birds as well as bird art, and Guandu especially was a prime location.
Read MoreIndigenous East Coast Art — Late November 2018
One of my favorite experiences this fall was a two-day university art trip by bus along the East Coast of Taiwan, which is home to many indigenous communities. The invitation to join this tour, with the TNUA International Masters in Cultural and Creative Industries program, was an opportunity to view sculpture installations by indigenous and international artists amidst a stunning landscape of mountains and sea.
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Students view artwork at Guandu Nature Park by Mexican artist Lua Rivera
Environmental Art Team — November 2018
My students and I have been exploring contemporary environmental sculpture—meaning conservation-minded in subject, intention, materials. We looked at inspiring images and visited the wonderful Guandu Nature Park nearby our campus.
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Studies from Hotta Masaatsu’s Album of Forest Birds, 18th-19th c., National Tokyo Museum
Side Visit to Japan — Late October 2018
Midway through my Fulbright stay I was joined by my husband, writer Jonathan Blunk, for a three-week visit. Together we made a side trip to Japan, where we both had contacts to meet and research to pursue.
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Traditional ceramic roof ornaments at the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial in Taipei
Look Up — Mid October 2018
One of the first sights to catch my eye in Taipei was the classic Chinese roof ornament or “roof charm” showing a man sitting on a bird, usually a chicken or phoenix, which was traditionally the first in a series of ceramic “walking beasts” on the roof ridge of important buildings.
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Rooster float seen on October 10—“Double 10th Day”—Taiwan’s National Day that celebrates the beginning of the Republic of China in Taiwan
Bird Study in Taiwan — October 2018
What Do You Know About Taiwan?
Taiwan is an independent democratic state in East Asia, officially called the Republic of China (ROC). It’s a compact mountainous island located off the coast of mainland China.
Read MoreRiding on a Bird — Late September 2018
I made an immediate start on my Fulbright bird-figure research in Taiwan, discovering in my first weeks many examples of human-bird connections in traditional art and popular culture in Taipei.
Read MoreWelcome to Taipei and TNUA — September 2018
I’ve arrived in Taiwan for my five-month Fulbright adventure, and I’m staying just outside the city at Taipei University of the Arts, in a guest room on a very beautiful campus.
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