News Release

Carolina Parakeet Bronze Sculpture Installed as Part of Hilton Head Island's Public Art Collection

October 31, 2023

The bronze sculpture "Carolina Parakeet" by artist Todd McGrain found a new home at the Lowcountry Celebration Park, as it was placed there on Monday as the newest public art piece for Hilton Head Island.

"The Carolina Parakeet sculpture is an important story to tell. It is especially relevant here on our Island, a fragile ecosystem we share with our native birds and animals. This sculpture will remind us as residents and visitors to share the environment with them," said Hilton Head Island Town Councilmember David Ames. "The Island's master plans and development codes have attempted to include them, but loss of their habitat is a constant threat. The sculpture reminds us of those irretrievable consequences."

The Carolina Parakeet's habitat once stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Ohio Valley. The parakeets were systematically eradicated by farmers protecting their crops. Feather hunters and trappers, who captured these vibrant birds and sold them as caged pets, also played a role in their decline. The Carolina Parakeet became extinct in 1918. While the exact location of the last parakeet's demise in the wild remains a mystery, the last two known parakeets, Lady Jane and Incas, shared 32 years together in the Cincinnati Zoo. Lady Jane died in 1917, with Incas following on February 21, 1918.

The installation of this sculpture reflects the Town’s ongoing commitment to integrating art into public spaces. The sculpture is the second public art piece located within Lowcountry Celebration Park at 94 Pope Avenue.

The Island's public art endeavor has been made possible, in part, through the Public Art Fund, established by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry in 2005. In 2011 the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry launched its inaugural Public Art Exhibition at the Coastal Discovery Museum, featuring "Carolina Parakeet" as a notable piece. The bronze sculpture is one of six pieces in the "Lost Bird Project" collection, depicting extinct birds on a grand scale.

In 2020, the Town assumed responsibility for managing the public art initiative by adopting a comprehensive Public Art Master Plan. With the addition of the "Carolina Parakeet," Hilton Head Island now has an impressive collection of 19 temporary and permanent public art pieces.

For more about the Town’s public art endeavors, visit Culture HHI at culturehhi.org/hilton-head-islands-public-art/.

About Todd McGrain, the Artist

Todd McGrain is an award-winning artist and filmmaker. His Lost Bird Project included large scale bronze sculptures of six now-extinct species of birds that once lived in North America. His intent with the project was to memorialize the birds and place the sculptures in locations where they used to inhabit. The series and its individual pieces have been exhibited around the country including at the Smithsonian gardens in Washington D.C. and other museums, public spaces, parks, and nature centers.