HWS News
29 April 2026 Art in the Wake of Loss
Two of Professor of American Studies Kirin Makker’s pieces in her Absence Presence series were selected for the Made in NY juried exhibition at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, N.Y., that opened in March and runs through May 16.
Professor Kirin Makker's work that is part of Made in NY 2026
The 30th annual Made in NY exhibition features work by artists who live in New York and is an opportunity for artists to showcase their work in a competitive, juried exhibition. The exhibit is open to all media, such as photography, sculpture, ceramics, painting, drawing, fiber, installation and video. In 2026, 399 artists applied for the exhibition, of which 70 were accepted. The show includes 74 artworks, including paintings, photographs, jewelry, quilts, sculptures, felted works, and more.
Makker’s Absence Presence project brings attention to the devastating fact that since 1970, North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds and brings awareness to recent measures to erode the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a primary piece of U.S. environmental legislation and cornerstone of species conservation. Makker used decommissioned migratory bird eggshells from natural history collections, partnering with the Museum at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and HWS’ Biology Department.
“Capturing lost birdlife, they embody and reflect fragility — of species, policy, ecosystems, and the legal boundaries we draw around life. What do we protect, why and for how long? Absence Presence offers a space for mourning and critical questioning: of our environmental legacy, our legal priorities, and the voices we have silenced, from meadowlarks and hawks to sparrows and beyond,” expresses Makker in her artist statement.
In an interview with the Schweinfurth Art Center, Makker shared the most important thing about the project to her was expressing loss and fragility of birds, but also ecologies and social structures.
“I wanted to bring attention to broadscale avian loss because it signals approaching environmental collapse. The eggshells — which were housed in a natural history museum for decades and saved because of species protections — themselves emphasize the fragility of policy, ecosystems, and the legal boundaries we draw around life because despite their careful conservation, the eggshells don’t assuage the terror of contending with broad species loss.”
At HWS, Makker teaches courses centered around critical space theory and design. She combines traditional scholarship with creative practice in hand drawing, sewing and installation art. Outside of teaching, she explores women’s and Black history in urban planning and feminist architectural practice. She is also the artist behind the “Womb Chair Speaks” project, which has been on display at HWS, Harvard University, the Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Aging and Care at the University of Graz, Austria, and the Winterthur Museum.
