Nature Centre feathers nest with new art display

By Ry Clarke - for the Lethbridge Herald on April 20, 2022.

Submitted photo Local Artist Esther Neufeld's 'Birds of a Feather' is now on display at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre Community Art Gallery, showcasing Southern Albertan birds through needle-felt art.

Helen Schuler Nature Centre is announcing a new exhibit on display in its Community Art Gallery called ‘Birds of a Feather’ featuring artwork from local artist Esther Neufeld.
The display will be on until May 17, showcasing southern Alberta birds in a medium of needle-felted art that adds texture and depth to every piece. The exhibit will include a giant life-sized felt pelican hanging from the ceiling along with felt sewn trees with various birds perched on it.
Anna Larney, facility programming coordinator at Helen Schuler, commented on the artwork.
“What I think is so neat about this medium is that it’s really engaging, almost invites you to look a little bit closer. With the way that she’s felted the details into these pieces and the colours are so inviting, it feels like walking into a kid’s picture book.”
Neufeld is a fiber artist, a weaver by trade, selling wares in places around southern Alberta like Spruce Meadows. Living in the Porcupine Hills, Neufeld drew inspiration from the natural beauty around her and noticing the birds that grace the land.
Using her skills, felting since 2012, Neufeld began to use her work with the world around her felting art pieces to spread awareness for species at risk.
“The sage grouse is endangered, burrowing owls are endangered, and loggerhead shrike is a species of special concern in Alberta. So I just thought I would use my felting as teaching in some ways for people to realize that birds are in peril in Alberta, and in the world,” said Neufeld on her artwork and what it represents in this exhibit. From a young age Neufeld says she was always creating, picking wool balls off her clothes in church to create shapes and objects, spurring her desire and passion for the future.
With a Mennonite background, she learned to sew from her mother who was a seamstress. Neufeld creates her work from scratch, dying her own wool, and doesn’t let time dictate her craft, saying her timeframe for a piece is a matter of what, not when.
“I work outside a lot and get these pieces going, and I don’t know it’s hard to say how long a piece takes. It just takes as long as it takes, it’s quite labour intensive.”
The Nature Centre will be hosting a Meet-and-Greet on Saturday, April 9, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. with Neufeld, discussing her practice and process.
Neufeld says it is a great opportunity to see another art style and encourage younger minds to embrace the arts. “Kids are so enthusiastic about felting. The kids always comment when they’re working: ‘I’m such a good artist’, ‘Oh, I can’t believe that I’m creating this piece of artwork.'”
“And it’s because, in a way, it’s an easy medium. When you’re painting, if you make a mistake… you’ve made a mistake. With felting, you just cover it over, you can rip a little bit off. Yeah, so kids really love working with it.”
The Nature Centre’s Community Art Gallery showcases nature, science, and environmentally-themed displays in support with the City of Lethbridge Public Art Committee, providing emerging and established artists with opportunities to showcase their work in a dynamic public space.
The Centre will host Neufeld’s ‘Birds of a Feather’ with a traveling exhibit to follow. The Centre is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more information visit the Centre online at naturecentre.ca, or call 403-320-3064.