Big Beautiful Bamboo Birds Have Landed in Bristol

Photography by Betsy Ekholm / courtesy of Blithewold

The Big Beautiful Bamboo Birds exhibit at Blithewold Mansion is turning heads, combining artistry and advocacy with an all-time avian attraction! 

Coined as the Myth Makers, international artistic duo Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein chose the Blithewold as home to six bamboo bird sculptures, each of which towers above visitors with whopping heights of up to thirty feet tall. The fleet of bamboo birds, made entirely of recycled materials, are nested across Blithewold’s sprawling acreage of gardens and groves.  

Dodson and Moerlein initially connected over their mutual love for nature and the world around them. Since 2010, the pair have completed more than fifty projects, earning state and international recognition for their mammoth bamboo attractions. After visiting Blithewold and spending two days with the Visitor Experience and Horticulture teams, the Myth Makers received exciting news: rather than waiting until 2025, their birds would land in Bristol a season ahead of scheduling. 

“From the start we found that Donna and Andy’s sculptures were the perfect fit for the Blithewold,” says Tree Callanan, the mansion’s Director of Museum Operations and Communications. “The expansiveness of the property makes an ideal setting for these colossal pieces of art.” 

Despite their gigantic scale, these incredible works are temporary in nature, according to the Myth Makers. Each bird is site specific for the local audience and only lasts three to five years due to their recycled materials. The bamboo art will slowly wear down over their time at Blithewold, with its remains being given back into the planet. This art is a symbol of natural life cycles and will mark a memorable chapter in the lives of Rhode Islanders who get to experience this truly once-in-a-lifetime event. 

The team chose particular positionings for each of the six birds, making sure the surrounding landscape complements a variety of shapes and colors captured in each sculpture. In late July, the spectacle opened to the public. 

Attendees are first met with a fifteen-foot-tall eastern bluebird as they enter the visitor’s center. Other bamboo birds to look for include an owl, a sandhill crane and other exciting varieties. 

Can’t make it to the Blithewold this summer? Don’t worry – these birds aren’t flying south until August 2025 and are eager to spend the holiday season at such a festive estate! 

Blithewold is open Tuesday–Saturday, 10a.m.–4p.m. and Sunday 10a.m.–3p.m. Regular admissions rates apply and start at $22 per person. For more information, visit blithewold.org.