Many of the birds we see in our backyards are just visitors —passing through in the spring on their way north, flying incredible distances to the Arctic to feed, breed, rest, and raise their young. They arrive at their destination just as the region is awakening from winter, having flown over oceans, forests, deserts, and mountains to get there. In the 24-hour daylight of Arctic summer, the music of birdsongs fills the air.

Arctic Wings: Miracle of Migration showcases the work of six photographers whose images help tell the remarkable stories of these birds. They are stories of perseverance and daring — and of amazing survival. Subhankar Banerjee, Michio Hoshino, Mark Wilson, Hugh Rose, Paul Bannick and Brad Winn have produced a wide range of compelling images including stunning vistas of diverse Arctic habitats and remarkable close-ups of many bird species: land birds, shorebirds, owls, long-distance flyers, and more. The long-distance migration of birds is a marvel, even with the mounting scientific knowledge we have to explain it. Hunger, instinct, and the drive to reproduce trigger migrating birds to move with the seasons, but don't explain why some travel so far — Arctic terms can travel as far as 11,000 each way! The exhibit explores the amazing abundance of the Arctic during its brief summer and also addresses conservation issues facing this remarkably important region. It is not an exaggeration that Arctic birds connect the world.

A related, award-winning book published by The Mountaineers Books — Arctic Wings: Birds of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is available with the exhibit and includes a 60-minute CD of Arctic birdsongs available for use in gallery installation. The exhibit also includes an accompanying audiovisual media presentation of the Arctic region by independent filmmaker Arthur C. Smith III.

Arctic Wings: Miracle of Migration was organized by the Burke Museum in partnership with Braided River, the conservation imprint of The Mountaineers Books, with help from The Monomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Massachusetts.

Major support for the exhibit has been provided by Tom and Sonya Campion, Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, and Peach Foundation. Additional support has been provided by The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, Jiji Foundation, Kongsgaard Goldman Foundation, The Norcliffe Foundation, and Wilberforce Foundation.

Interesting facts from the pages of Arctic Wings

Exhibit Specifications

Additional Information

Exhibition Support

As a host of Arctic Wings, you will receive the following:

Registrarial Requirements
This exhibit has been designated Moderate security. It will contain wall-hung elements consisting of approx. 25 framed color photographic prints, text panels, and captions. In order to be hung in a minimum of 200 running feet (approx.), multiple prints will need to be double hung. This exhibit has not yet been fabricated. Additional requirements may be added to reflect the final exhibit.

Space

• Venues must have a limited-access gallery of sufficient area and wall space to accommodate the exhibition. An open mall, hallway, or lounge area is not acceptable.
• Smoking, eating, and drinking are prohibited in the exhibition area, exhibitor receiving, and staging spaces.
• No part of the exhibition may be stored, crated, or moved off the premises without prior authorization from the Burke Museum. Empty crates for all exhibit contents must be stored in secured, pest-free, and fire-protected storage.

Security

• Trained professional guards and/or personnel must be present in sufficient numbers to protect the exhibition adequately throughout the time it is on site (during truck off-loading, unpacking, installation, deinstallation, repacking, and truck loading) and on view.
• The exhibition area must be locked and secured during closed hours. Alarms and/or guards during closed hours are preferred but not required.
• Functioning fire-prevention systems and other fire-protection devices that meet local ordinances must be available in the exhibition, staging, and storage spaces.

Environmental Controls

• The exhibition, staging, and storage areas should have a temperature range of 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity range of 40-60% relative humidity, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Venues without an HVAC system will need to provide climate data that reports consistent environmental conditions.
• The venue must have environmental recording equipment (hygrothermographs or dataloggers) in the exhibition, staging, and storage areas. A member of the collections management or registration staff must make routine checks of the exhibition.
• There must be no direct sunlight in the exhibition, staging, or storage areas. It should be diffused or eliminated. Light levels must be limited to 20 foot-candles. Light must be filtered for UV.

Exhibition Care

• Handling of all exhibit contents during unpacking, installation, deinstallation, and repacking must be done by curatorial, registrarial, or by other trained and experienced museum professionals.
• The exhibition may contain crates weighing up to 400 pounds. Venues will need to have the facility and staff or the ability to hire skilled personnel for crate delivery and movement.
• The exhibition contents must be left in their crates for 24 hours before unpacking.

For more information, please contact:
Mark R. Hand
Traveling Exhibits Coordinator
Phone: 206-616-0268
Email: mrhand@u.washington.edu