#012 Perch & Ponder: Owls of Remembrance 

In celebration of Día de los Muertos, Nimbus Arts introduced our “Perch & Ponder: Owls of Remembrance” community art installation and invited community members to honor loved ones who are no longer with us by drawing, painting, and altering our 140 wooden owl forms in any way they wished. Throughout history people have regarded owls with fascination and awe. In ancient Greece, owls were connected with the wisdom of the soul, and in early Indian folklore, owls represent wisdom and helpfulness, and have powers of prophecy, while in Mexican culture some believe the spirit of the owl guides newly departed souls to the afterlife. These themes recur in the myths and legends of cultures around the world.

Reveling these majestic creatures, community artists created 140 owls that were combined and assembled into a festive art installation celebrating Día de los Muertos.  Our community art initiative took flight and served as a metaphor for remembering and honoring loved ones who have passed.

This initiative was socially distanced due to pandemic restrictions, but our community’s love of art meant the initial offering of 100 free art kits were fully committed in one day!  40 additional free kits were added, and these also quickly flew off to their new artist owners!  The 140 owls created by community artists were returned to Nimbus Arts and were assembled into a large-scale installation.  The installation was displayed prominently in St. Helena’s historic downtown, on the Spring Street façade of Main Street’s Vintage Home.

The “Perch and Ponder: Owls of Remembrance” Community Art Installation is generously sponsored by the City of St. Helena and the Arts Council Napa Valley through the CARES Act. We are deeply thankful for their generosity and grateful for Walker Building Co. for their generous support also. And a special thanks to Laura Rombauer and Vintage Home for the display space.