Art initiative takes flight, birdhouse project aims to break world record

Thousands of birdhouses are being painted and decorated as part of the Department of Arts and Culture project Shelter for All.

According to the Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania Community web page, The Arts Engage! Task Force, which is a initiative of the Lackawanna County Department of Arts and Culture, several other county departments and civic and nonprofit organizations developed a project called Shelter for All. It is in conjunction of the annual Great Backyard Bird Count which is conducted by Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society and Birds Canada.

The Lackawanna County Department of Arts and Culture is located at the Lackawanna Electric City Trolley Museum, 300 Cliff St., Scranton. Bird houses can be picked up and dropped off at this location.

“Initially, with the help of the community, the Arts Engage Task Force had plans to create and install nesting at our county parks, with the idea of educating our community on our local bird population. During the early stages, members of the team organized workshops, bird counts and other bird-related activities. Additionally, through the planning process, we also learned that birds inhabit different types, sizes and colors of nests, also in nesting boxes and other types of dwellings. We decided to expand the program to include a worksheet so that participants could describe what home meant to them as they were decorating their birdhouses and hold a fundraiser to help support a local housing project,” said Meghan Gabello Program Manager for the Lackawanna County Arts and Culture Department and a project facilitator and a member of the Arts Engage Task Force.

She has done some of the distribution and collection of the birdhouses and facilitated several workshops.

The first birdhouse painting session was held at the Community Intervention Center in February. About 15 people who receive services at the center participated.

An event was held in February at the Gardening of Cedar called “Love Birds Caricatures” that Skylar “Tall Witch” Conway did personalized portraits.

The first 10 visitors to this event received a birdhouse.

Various groups were given wooden bird houses to decorate them. The Arts Engage team that includes members of the Penn State Extension and the Lackawanna County Library System distributed over a thousand birdhouses to local community groups and individuals.

Birdhouses were painted by Dalton United Methodist Church Vacation Bible School, Woman’s Shelter in Scranton, The nursing staff of Prime Med office of Doctor Sayegh, Seniors in the Parks, Family Fun Night at McDade Park, Art in the Park, World Refugee Day, The Recovery Bank, The Lackawanna County Government Center, Black Scranton’s Project’s Juneteenth Celebrations among others.

The ages ranged from children to senior citizens.

Another part of the birdhouse project that Kathy Elkins, an artist with the Arts and Culture and who did some events where individuals painted them.is to collect enough birdhouses to break a Guinness Book of World Records.

“It was my idea to contact Guinness Book of World Records about this project. I felt we had a shot to get the record. I emailed them with the project that’s been ongoing, and they notified me what they will need. They will have an official come out to the event to count the bird houses and record the project. I will be so excited if we break the record on this project. So many individuals are part of it to have it in the book of records. We’d have our name and area in a Book of World Records.”

“The most enjoyable part of the project for me has been the interest and excitement the community has shown to be part of this initiative. Painting the birdhouses was one option but many of the birdhouses were made with other materials like moss and glitter, some even have a horror theme, some with graffiti while others are affixed with miniature birds or colorful pebbles. These creations can be seen during the installation reveal in October,” said Gabello.

The world record-breaking attempt will be made in September at Nay Aug Park, where the birdhouses will be.

A reception will follow.

The birdhouses will also be shown on Friday, Oct. 3 at the Everhart Museum with an opening reception.

“I really enjoyed being part of this project, and every time I get others involved to do art, I love it. Art needs to be part of everyone’s life, either creating it or just looking at is a great thing,” said Elkins.