The images from John James Audubon’s Birds of America are familiar to most birders, but a significant portion of Audubon’s work remains almost unknown – the written text that originally accompanied the illustrations.  In her profusely illustrated presentation, Lucy Winters Durkin, art historian, lecturer and Audubon descendant, will explore the closely observed and richly textured descriptions of the birds found in the Ornithological Biography, reconnecting Audubon’s images and words.

Lucy Winters Durkin is a busy art historian and teacher here in the Rochester community.  She spends the greatest part of her time teaching art history in the Humanities Department at the Eastman School of Music, where, in her words, she is responsible for inflicting culture on unsuspecting undergraduates.  She also teaches art history programs at the Memorial Art Gallery, offered to the community through the Creative Workshop.

Lucy holds a B.A. from Smith College in European History and a Masters’ degree from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art.  Her lecturing career has taken her from Tokyo to Cornell University with many stops in between.  She also authored and taught an on-line course, “The Museum Goer’s Guide to Art” for Barnes & Noble.  In a different aspect of her career, Lucy works with musical groups and individual performers in creating programs that combine music and visuals, which have been performed in multiple venues around the country.