Instead of featuring their usual front window display of new work by a guest artist, the members of the Corner Gallery have said an enthusiastic “YES” to an unusual and colorful proposal for an “Art in Action” event in the gallery’s interior for the whole month of June.
The guest artist will be high school junior William Shi, who is already known in Ukiah for his astonishing ability to paint lifelike one-of-a-kind chickens on Chinese scrolls.
The '100 Chickens’ prototype for William Shi's 1,000 Chickens project. (Contributed)William, in addition to being a painter with skills unimaginable for most people his age, is a young man with a deep social conscience and a strong will to do some good in this world. The bird flu epidemic that has recently ravaged our country has caused William to think about more than just the rising price of eggs.
“This ongoing epidemic has caused the deaths of millions of birds,” William says “but much of the public remains focused solely on the rising price of eggs rather than the root cause of the issue: unsustainable agricultural practices. The industrial conditions in which many of these birds are kept allow diseases to spread rapidly. As a result, millions of birds are culled due to infection with the disease. I want to do my part to raise awareness about this crisis.”
William continues, “I am someone who has personally experienced the deep bond humans can share with animals – especially with chickens. At the start of the pandemic in 2020, I began keeping my first chickens. In the darkest days of the lockdown, when I struggled with the emotional turmoil of my adolescence, the chickens became my emotional support, helping me find joy when the world felt uncertain. Most importantly, it is because of the chickens that I found a passion for life – painting. As I observed the chickens daily, I recorded their life using my art. It is because of this connection between me and the chickens that I feel obligated to take action against this current crisis of the bird flu.”
William’s idea is to use his art as his podium to bring awareness to this issue that distresses him so much. Beginning on the First Friday in June, he will host a one-man public-art-in-action project at the gallery, creating a large-scale painting featuring one thousand chickens. The painting will be 18 feet wide and 9 feet high, so it’s certain to attract more than a little attention as it progresses. William explains, “This visual representation will hopefully serve as a call to action, urging people to reexamine our agricultural systems and advocate for sustainable farming practices. I hope people will see me working and think about the issue in a way they haven’t before.”
“Additionally,” William continues, “I aim to use this project, plus several other products I have related to my art, to fundraise for organizations dedicated to animal welfare and sustainable agriculture reform.” And William has one additional goal… he is hoping to get into the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest painting ever done of chickens. William plans to paint during the entire First Friday, and then on as many days as he can take time away from his studies and other projects to come into the gallery.
The First Friday opening celebration for William’s huge painting project will be on June 6 from 5-8 p.m. Live keyboard music will be provided throughout the evening by Charlie Seltzer and any guest singers who wander by. The Corner Gallery is located at 201 S. State St. in Ukiah. Regular business hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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