red & blue listed birds of BC
faro annie sullivan
october 5th - november 4th, 2023
ccbc shop & gallery
The installation is titled: Of Special Concern (Extirpated, Endangered, Threatened): Red and Blue listed Birds of BC. This work is a physical representation of 103 BC birds, each red or blue listed on the species list. The installation is part of an ongoing witnessing of the present state of species and biodiversity within my province.
This installation brings the viewer into direct contact with these threatened birds, the material manifestation of a number, a statistic. The birds are all handmade and pit-fired. They hang from the ceiling in a flock, hovering around a raku fired urn which is inscribed with their names. In coming into contact the with birds, the hope is to educate, stimulate and perhaps inspire action towards legislation dedicated to protecting and recovering species at risk.
The greatest biodiversity in the country exists in the lands now called British Columbia. Currently B.C. has nearly 2000 species of animals and plants at risk of extinction. This is more than any other province or territory. One hundred and three of these are red and blue (extirpated, endangered, or threatened) listed birds.
Most of the species at risk in BC live outside the jurisdiction of the Federal Species at Risk Act. British Columbia is one of the only provinces in Canada without legislation dedicated to protecting and recovering species at risk. The BC government has stalled out on creating meaningful endangered species protection laws to which they had committed to in 2017 and 2020 (as part of the Old Growth Strategic Review).
In some urban centres, municipalities are taking localized action to support native bird populations. For example, Vancouver has a Bird Strategy implemented by the city.
The Wilderness Committee and Sierra Club of BC are calling on B.C. to enact legislation for the protection of biodiversity, co-developed with Indigenous Peoples and aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). For more information on how you can support/get involved with this push for legislation:
Wilderness Committee – BC Species
Wildlife Lose Out BC Legislation
BC has a whopping 1807 species at risk of extinction but no rules to protect
Faro Annie Sullivan is a self-taught ceramic artist, educator and studio technician who explores relationships with the natural world through personal and political narrative. She studied creative writing at the University of Victoria and has a degree in Folklore from Memorial University of Newfoundland. Having spent 20 years as a mainly studio production potter as Dirty Girl Clayworks, she is currently exploring other ceramic avenues, including installation and sculpture. She has taught at various locations in Western Canada, including Red Deer College and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, and currently maintains a position as studio technologist at Camosun College