By Ellen Wang ’25
Editor-in-Chief
On Feb. 21, Olive Gaetz ’25 gave a walkthrough of their bird-themed exhibition, Signs from Above, in Denison Library. As the exhibition curator, Gaetz discussed the cultural significance of the exhibition’s multimedia artwork and texts from around the world.
While the eagle has symbolized courage and strength in countries like the United States and Japan, Gaetz described how exhibition items highlighted differences in cultural representations of birds as well. Owls are associated with misfortune and death in India and Mexico, in comparison to Native American portrayals of the birds as wise.
“I think it’s really exciting, both to focus on different specific species of birds, but also how they have been historically perceived and represented across different cultures,” Emma Rosenberg ’25 said.
The exhibition featured items from Denison and the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery’s collections as well as Gaetz’s own avian artwork. Separate display cases focused on five categories of birds — eagles, hummingbirds, owls, seabirds, and quails.
“I love that a lot of it is local birds,” Gaetz said. “I think it really strengthens that for the audience — they can go outside right now and find those birds. Especially for thinking about conservation and awareness, it’s really important to be able to have a little bit more of that interaction.”
The exhibition can be traced to the convergence of Gaetz’s personal interest and her time as the summer 2023 Wilson Arts Administration Intern at the Williamson Gallery, where she was encouraged to explore the collections.
“I’ve always loved birds,” Gaetz said. “It was really fascinating to see representations of birds in so many different forms, 3D and 2D, from so many different eras, from local Scripps to South America and China. It immediately inspired me to draw connections with my own enjoyment and interpretations of them.”
Gaetz elaborated on the curatorial process of thinking through how items fit together and complemented each other within a broader narrative on top of logistical considerations.
“It took two years because lots of avenues closed, and we had to find another avenue, another opportunity of where to put it, do we have access to items, is this our story to tell,” Gaetz said.
Gaetz drew on Denison’s rich collection of bird-related items, including Birds of California, a decade-long comprehensive book project created with funding from Ellen Browning Scripps.
“I really encourage people to come and look at some of Denison’s archives, especially ones related to the area,” Gaetz said. “There’s also a lot of student work from interns that have done research.”
Margalit Monroe, Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Curator of Academic Programs and Collections at the Williamson Gallery and mentor to Gaetz, echoed the sentiment in regards to the gallery’s collections.
“They’re available for research; they’re available for so many different applications,” Monroe said. “Our collection is in service to students, and I’m just so excited that Olive persevered, and we were able to realize this.”
The exhibition will be on display until March 7, complete with free bird stickers created by Gaetz.
Photo Courtesy of Ellen Wang ’25
