Helping hope take wing

Kristin Gruenberger with a new flock of Hopeful Birds.

Inspired by the pandemic-born Hopeful Birds Project, ceramist Kristin Gruenberger gathers local artists to hatch cheery birds bearing messages of joy and connection.

It was a gloomy year for many, but there’s hope ahead. That’s the message inherent in the Hopeful Birds Project, a grassroots effort to bring art, kindness and smiles to one another during challenging times…in the form of vibrant ceramic birds.

“The birds connect us to share moments of joy,” said Hopeful Birds Project founder Rita Vali. “They serve as a metaphor – we are individuals, mostly isolated in our homes, yet by sharing similar feelings and experiences we can support each other.”

Vali hatched the idea in the throes of the Covid-19 pandemic, when a global hush settled over daily life amid stay-at-home orders and lengthy quarantines. While taking refuge in her Louisville, Colorado, home, Vali became inspired by the colorful, chattering birds reveling in the spring sunshine of her backyard. Each glimpse of the feathered friends lifted her spirits, and she wanted to replicate that feeling for her neighbors.

Since Vali is a ceramic artist, she began crafting ceramic birds from home, each one with its own personality and features. Vali released her first flock of 21 birds in April 2020 on the trails and parks in her suburban neighborhood, with an intention to spread

Photos: Dusty Demerson

joy to whomever found them. Each bird had instructions for the finder to take it home, care for it and have fun with it a few days, then return it to the wilds to see where it might migrate. On her second clutch of birds, Vali invited each finder to pay it forward by making a donation on the bird’s behalf to a local organization.

“We were so in the moment when the pandemic hit hard, I had no idea where this would go,” she said. “What started as a small neighborhood project has morphed. It’s taken on a life of its own and grown organically as birds have spread all over the place.”

The idea took flight and caught the interest of a handful of artists throughout the United States, including Gunnison potter Kristin Gruenberger. Gruenberger reached out to Vali as soon as she heard about Hopeful Birds and brought the project to the greater Gunnison Valley community.

“The Hopeful Birds Project is intended to bring community together,” Gruenberger said. So she gathered community members (socially distanced, of course) in October 2020 to create the first local flock of birds. “There’s nothing better than to see imagination unfold when community birds are made. Each bird has its own unique personality, and each maker has their own creative exploration. To be a part of that is pure magic.”

Birds from that first flock landed in Crested Butte, Crested Butte South and Gunnison. Since then, about 100 birds have been crafted and released locally through two community events and Gruenberger’s own efforts. Finders of Hopeful Birds are encouraged to snap a few photos with their birds before releasing them back into the world. The photos are shared through a variety of hashtags on Instagram and Facebook, which also serves as a tracking mechanism to locate the birds once they’ve flown far from home.

“I’ve received really touching thank-yous and testimonials about how finding a bird has made a difference to someone when they needed it,” Vali said. “Truly that’s the absolute best part – knowing these little birds are out there fulfilling the vision I had for them.”

Gruenberger also receives tidbits of information on the whereabouts of the birds through social media, fellow finders and the rare, innocent eavesdropping of a Hopeful Birds conversation. “To hear how stumbling upon a bird shifts and shapes someone’s day with a positive glow is truly amazing,” she said. “A single ceramic bird can extend good will more widely when it migrates. My hope is that some have left the valley and are spreading their message of love, hope and kindness wherever they end up.”

Gruenberger has been working on flocks with other involved clay artists, and she teaches workshops in other towns to extend the reach of the project. She’s also happy to facilitate individuals or groups wanting to craft and donate birds, or to help with community outreach projects that would generate more Hopeful Birds.

“It’s my hope that this project continues even after Covid-19 is behind us,” Gruenberger said.

This summer more Hopeful Birds will hatch and take roost in nooks and crannies around the valley. So while hitting local trails and streets, keep an eye out for one of these colorful little creations. Have a chuckle, take a photo, enjoy your neighbor’s gesture of kindness, and then send that message onward into the world. b

For more information on the Hopeful Birds Project, visit hopefulbirds.org.