Hooded Oriole and Lawrence’s Goldfinch by Christian Penn

Location: 3415 Broadway, New York, NY 10031

Painted: 10/28/2018

Sponsored by: George Olive & Ingrid Nordgard

About the Birds: A classic California combo, the Hooded Oriole and Lawrence’s Goldfinch face very different futures in a warming climate. The oriole thrives in hot weather and often nests in palm trees, and its overall territory is likely to expand. Lawrence’s Goldfinch, by contrast, is a finicky nomad that requires certain native plants and a reliable supply of fresh water. Audubon projects the goldfinch will lose much of its breeding range as temperatures rise.

About the Artist:  His roots in the graffiti world make spray paint Christian Penn’s medium of choice. Penn is the executive director of Projectivity Group, a nonprofit based in Staten Island that focuses on arts and youth, and he also works with students in schools and through youth agencies. The colors of the oriole and goldfinch stood out to him—"I have not painted many yellow birds yet,” he says, “their colors inspired me”—but also the fact that, because the birds nest in the same geographic area, it’s actually possible to see them together in the wild.

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