If you’ve walked past the Hope Central Church on Seaverns Avenue you may have done a double take recently—thinking a realistic art installation is real turkeys—which are also known to forage on the church’s lawn.
The fake turkeys are part of a series of bird sculptures created by Jamaica Plain artist Lu Valena, which Valena has named the Bird Promenade—four bird-themed art installations in four different JP locations.
The four installations are located at: Hope Central Church (85 Seaverns Ave.), Loring Greenough House (12 South St.), Margarita Muniz Academy (20 Child St.), and the Meeting Point (3464 Washington St.).
Valena said they’ve wanted to make an art installation about turkeys for some time.
“Something about the way they move is so fascinating. It is slightly awkward, kind of humorous, sometimes menacing. I’m sure I’m not alone in the strange combination of delight and fear they inspire in me when I see them skulking around the neighborhood,” said Valena. “Recently, I witnessed a turkey checking itself out in the rearview mirror of a parked car. Hilarious! But I walked away quickly before it saw me looking.”
Each installation’s site participated in designing the pieces to some degree. Church leaders said they’d like turkeys and/or hawks to be featured. The turkeys are by themselves, but if you look around, you’ll find a hawk hanging in a nearby tree.
“If anyone manages to snag a photo of a real turkey checking out the installation, please send it to me!” added Valena.
Valena credited receiving an Opportunity Grant from the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture to give the “fuel” to make their first public art project happen. They said that the installations are made from a combination of fabric, paper, and recycled materials on wood and wire armature, and painted with weatherproof latex house paint, which Valena built in three months time.
Like a migrating bird that only stays for a short while, the Bird Promenade ends on June 21, although Valena said there are plans for the pieces to be part of an immersive installation this summer.
“The unofficial tagline of Bird Promenade is ‘Stop and Listen’; in this hectic world filled with distractions, being fully present in the moment feels like a radical act,” said Valena. “There is so much beauty to notice all around us; I hope people walk the promenade and take a moment to enjoy this gorgeous neighborhood.”
