In Birds of America, filmmaker Jacques Loeuille composes a love letter to a founding father of nature conservation. When naturalist and artist John James Audubon arrived in the United States in the early 19th century he encountered breathtaking nature and huge swarms of birds of all kinds. Following a route along the Mississippi, Birds of America retraces the steps of Audubon as he traveled along the Mississippi memorializing with his dramatic paintings a remarkable range of birds, many of which are now extinct. Audubon not only made a name for himself, but also immortalized a vast, hugely varied range of birds in his sophisticated paintings, bursting with color, energy and drama. It was groundbreaking work, recording this diversity of birdlife before it was banished from the earth forever. Bringing in voices that speak to colonialism, industrialization, national identity and myth, this film juxtaposes contemporary views with those of the early 19th century to reconsider what American is today.

Bud Werner Library's copy of John James Audubon's First Folio will be on display at this event.