The Audubon Mural Project – Northern Illinois is a public art project featuring birds that have identified by the National Audubon’s birds and climate change report. According to that report, climate change will impact 389 species of birds by 2080.

Climate change is one of the most critical challenges facing our world and the artistic movement to confront climate change has steadily gained momentum. Art can serve as a powerful tool to increase awareness and beautify our city!

In August of 2021, Sinnissippi Audubon Society commissioned artist Justin Suarez to complete a double-sided mural to be part of the Audubon Mural Project in Rockford, Illinois.

“Dodge and Chase” was located at 1238 E. State St., Rockford, IL. Recently, it was demolished as part of a health system development plan.

The two main portions of this mural were designed to tell a story, reflecting on the relationships between predatory and prey species, and highlighting local wildlife which have been suffering from the effects of climate change, including Blackburnian Warbler, Canada Warbler, Cerulean Warbler, Henslow’s Sparrow, Hermit Thrush, House Finch, Scarlet Tanager, Tennessee Warbler, and Veery.

“Dodge” featured a depiction of a Peregrine Falcon diving into a group of songbirds, in a failed attempt to snatch one of them within it’s powerful talons. While the tenacious falcon greatly overpowers them; the songbirds are fast, and adept at scattering and escaping with their lives.

“Chase” showed a very converse scene, in which the songbirds have joined together to chase the falcon away from the area that they call home. Though tiny and frail, their many beaks together can cause enough of an annoyance to force the falcon to search elsewhere for food.

Depending on how these two murals were viewed, they could tell their own stand-alone story, or they could be viewed as a piece of sequential art. In that way, “Chase” can be seen as the second act of the story, in which the songbirds are retaliating against the falcon.

Sinnissippi Audubon is raising funds to bring back artist Justin Suarez to Rockford to recreate another mural.

Please consider donating toward the cause!