ST. JOHN — Combine art and birds and you get “Birds of Clay,” a unique studio art experience taking inspiration from the shorebird migration at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. The Art Center at the Historic Gray Photography Studio, located in St. John, is offering the class on May 3, led by Christina Lamoureaux, who has been teaching art for 38 years. Registration is required at www.grayphotostudioinc.com/events.

This two-part adventure begins with a trip to Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (QNWR), where the Friends of Quivira (FOQ) and Pam Martin, retired KDWP educator, will provide an engaging guided tour. QNWR is a major stopover for thousands of shorebirds on their way to nesting grounds in the Arctic. The birds, ranging from tiny plovers and sandpipers to stately avocets and stilts, will be in their bright breeding plumage. Binoculars and spotting scopes are provided courtesy of FOQ. 

After lunch, participants will create a bird sculpture, under the direction of Lamoureaux, whose works have been exhibited in national shows. She creates artistic mixed media painted and sculptural compositions of subjects, with ideas developed from time spent biking through the prairie and photographing life images.  

Birds of clay sculptures will be fired and, at a later date, ready for pickup at St. John’s Ida Long Goodman Memorial Library, during library hours. The Art Center is a nonprofit organization with the vision of infusing day-to-day life with the principles of beauty and creativity. More information about the event and The Art Center can be found at www.grayphotostudioinc.com.