John James Audubon: The Birds of America

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Photo courtesy of NCMA

John James Audobon's "Red-Throated Diver" from The Birds of America

Before the gig economy solidified itself as a talisman of late capitalism, there was John James Audubon, a struggling naturalist who paid his bills by teaching dance lessons and working with taxidermy. Then came his big break: The Birds of America, a bound collection of 435 life-size watercolors of birds so big that, when opened—an act that required two people—it was nearly the wingspan of a mountain hawk. Today, only two hundred copies of the book still exist; in 1864, the state of North Carolina acquired one of them. NCMA will host the book through the end of the year, coupled with “The Audubon Experience,” an immersive multimedia room on display through September which recreates the sounds and sights the naturalist might have encountered. (Speaking of late capitalism: Many of the stunning birds that he painted are now extinct.) At 9:00 a.m. on opening day, February 16, NCMA will participate in the Audubon Society’s Great Backyard Bird Count, held at the museum park. Two other shows also open: photography exhibit Within the Frame and multimedia exhibit Sayler Morris: Their World Is Not Our World. —Sarah Edwards