It's hard out there for a bird

The Scoop Behind the Yellow Birdhouses Around Town

Posted by Kevin Montgomery on Wed, 01/19/2011 - 11:49am
Categorized: Art - The Streets, Mission District, Pets & Animals, SOMA, The Great Outdoors
Tagged: birds, BIRDS WILL FALL, DOING SOMETHING GOOD, It's hard out there for a bird

"Jim", the man responsible for hanging all the yellow birdhouses around the Mission and SOMA, emailed us to tell us about his project:

I come from a long line of birdwatchers and enjoy following birds myself, so I thought why not cater to local species and make birdhouses for them? I started out making houses for the California Towhee which migrates through Northern California, then branched out and started just free styling them.

Some friends caught wind and I started making more for them, and eventually I was asked to show 50 of my birdhouses at a pop-up gallery show in SOMA at Unspeakable Projects. I then sold those birdhouses, and the deal was I would install them in the location of the buyer's choosing.

I've made a bunch of birdhouses made of wood from local recycled pallets, sold a few at an art show and now am just continuing to make them and put them up around town. Feel free to track their progress on the website. I'll be updating as I go.

If you want to sponsor the project, $50 bucks will get you a birdhouse and installation at your choice of location.  You can order one by sending an email to jimewing3@hotmail.com

Previously on Uptown Almanac

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Guerilla Birdhouses Going Up Around Town

Posted by Kevin Montgomery on Tue, 01/11/2011 - 6:45pm
Categorized: Art - The Streets, Mission District, Pets & Animals, SOMA
Tagged: birds, BIRDS WILL FALL, It's hard out there for a bird, NO ONE IS TRYING TO SELL ME SOMETHING RIGHT?

I have no idea who is hanging all these yellow birdhouses around town, but it sure does strike me as a neat project.  Just building birdhouses, climbing trees and telephone poles, and nailing 'em up.  But, why?  Just on a whim?  To hang up some nice street art with an actual purpose?  Get a master's degree? To give our tough winged S.O.B.s a little shelter?  To get tweeted about?

Regardless of the reasons why, I've spotted a solid half-dozen of this birdhouses get hung up around the Mission and SOMA over the past few weeks.  From the photo above, left to right, top to bottom:

  1. Corner of 21st and Valencia
  2. The abandoned gas station at 23rd and Valencia
  3. Corner of 23rd and Valencia
  4. Outside Homestead at 19th and Folsom
  5. Corner of 22nd and Shotwell
  6. Corner of 4th and Bryant

Has anyone noticed these houses outside these areas?  More importantly, anyone come across birds using them and/or feral cats hanging around?

Previously on Uptown Almanac

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