Buzz Lab is an opportunity during summer for teens who are between ages 12-18 years old and passionate about art, science, and protecting the environment. Participants will dive into learning, creating, and advocating for the essential role of pollinators in a thriving ecosystem. They will work with scientists, artists, and community members to learn and discuss the importance of pollinators, create collaborative artwork, and participate in gardening and research in the Pollinator Garden at Plains Art Museum and other sites.
Flight Without Fear
Acrylic paint and paper
June 2025
Buzz Lab Teen Collective Cohorts: Hailey, Ida, Eva, Violet B., Lanie, Luna, Hayeon, Naomi, Josie, Adeline, Rudlyne, Anjali, Fresia, Ansley, Piper, Violet S.
Contributors: Alatera McCann, Chelsea Steffes, Anna Jacobson and a fantastic group of community members and educators!
Using acrylic paint on pasted paper, the mural Flight Without Fear explores the dangers of city windows, which kill over a billion birds each year in the U.S alone. This window painting serves a dual purpose, both saving birds by disrupting the deadly reflections in the window and educating the public on the importance of
bird-safe glass.
We included the Western Meadowlark, North Dakota’s state bird, whose prairie home has been nearly eliminated by our cities and farmlands. The white-throated sparrow has the highest death rate from low-rise windows in the country. The background is dotted to break the reflection, with glow-in-the-dark constellations placed among them to reference the stars migrating birds use to navigate.
Many bird species travel at night and are therefore distracted by city lights; it is no coincidence that a staggering majority of window strikes happen during migration season: the months of April, September, and October. Employing bold colors and a powerful composition, this mural is a call to take action to let the beautiful birds that soar through our skies truly fly
without fear.