The first annual Working Wildfowl Holiday Market will be a unique shopping experience that includes artisan carvers, vintage and contemporary decoy dealers, watercolor artwork by Phil Jones, photography, nature-inspired jewelry and kayaks from St. Louis Sail and Paddle! You’re sure to find something special for everyone on your list. Shop, enjoy the exhibit and explore the Center to experience the great fall migration of waterfowl and the arrival of the beautiful Trumpeter Swans. View dozens of species of waterfowl up close in the quiet waters of Ellis Bay through high-powered spotting scopes from the Center’s windows.
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The market will be held at The Audubon Center at Riverlands, located inside the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in West Alton, MO. There is no charge to visit the Center or attend the market. For more information call 636-899-0090.
Working Wildfowl Holiday Market
November 23 and 24, 2013
10am – 4pm
About the Exhibit Working Wildfowl: Decoys, Carvings and the Waterfowl Tradition is an exhibit that showcases North America’s first major folk art form—wildfowl decoys and duck calls. Bird decoys, which were first fashioned by Native American hunter-artists over 1000 years ago, are a unique and striking symbol of the Mississippi River’s great wildlife habitats, the billions of birds that migrate along the magnificent Mississippi Flyway, and the people who care about and work this great River. Consider this—to create a decoy demands a keen knowledge and understanding of all things “bird.” A great decoy looks like a real bird, floats like a real bird, and mimics the poses and behaviors of real birds. Hunters values their decoys as indispensable partners in a good hunt; carvers faithfully imitate birds’ form, feather and color; and collectors desire the workmanship, skill, tradition and history each treasured decoy represents. In our region, a long and impressive tradition of waterfowl hunting has helped to maintain tens of thousands of acres of wetland habitat for both game and non-game birds. The Audubon Center at Riverlands partners with excellent organizations like Ducks Unlimited, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in habitat restoration and conservation along our great rivers. The sportsman, the birdwatcher, the conservationist, and the wildlife biologist all are equally captivated by the wonders of wildlife on this great river Flyway, and the decoy is a great symbol of all that binds us together. The exhibit features vintage and working decoys from the collections of Gary Giessow, Paul Haudrich, the Schnuck Family, Bill Myer, Ann Jones, Colleen Douglas, Larry Reid, Dan Burkhardt, and many others. Additional displays include a duck call collection, an inlaid marquetry replica of the only duck stamp to feature a dog, and a complete duck stamp collection. A special display will showcase a subject guaranteed to touch everyone’s hearts – hunting dogs. Stories and photographs will tell the story of amazing dogs that loved the sport as much as their masters! The exhibit features "Decoys in Watercolor" by Phil Jones (select artist work for sale) and wildfowl photography by Danny Brown. There is no charge to view the exhibition and it will be on display through December 30, 2013.
This exhibit was made possible by the generous support of Julie & Scott Schnuck, Glazer’s Midwest, Nestle Purina Petcare, Mark & Stephanie Schnuck, Carol & Ward Klein, Jason Schnuck, Casey Communications, Coca-Cola Refreshments, Susan Flader, PhD, Olin Corporation, The Happy Medium, Waterways Council, Inc., Dan & Connie Burkhardt, Ducks Unlimited, Gary & Lillian Giessow, Great Rivers Habitat Alliance, Bossanova Restaurant, Alton, IL, Commerce Bank, Migratory Waterfowl Hunters, Inc., Penelope Schmidt.
About The Audubon Center at Riverlands
The Audubon Center at Riverlands serves as the Visitors Center for the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary and is less than 30 minutes from downtown St. Louis. Open seven days a week from 8am-4pm, this is the perfect place to see migrating eagles, trumpeter swans, pelicans, ducks and other birds. The sanctuary, maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is 3,700 acres of wetland, native prairie and bottomland forest, overlooking the Mississippi River. The Audubon Center at Riverlands offers educational and recreation opportunities, including the upcoming Birds of Winter programming beginning January 4, 2014. Please visit the website at www.riverlands.audubon.org for more details.
The Audubon Center at Riverlands is a division of Audubon Missouri, and part of the National Audubon Society’s network of centers throughout the United States.
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