Leicester-based artist Lucy Stevens (as previously interviewed for these pages by Ceri Levy) has worked in collaboration with Leicester Museums & Galleries for her latest solo art exhibition, ‘Colour Coded Birds’. The exhibition explores creative methods for cataloguing the bird skin collection for the first time using colour coding.

The bird skin collection has inspired the development of new mixed media contemporary artwork. Stevens has used colour theory and colour systems relating to bird conservation status, weather symbols and The Highway Code to produce vibrant interpretations of the bird skin collection.

The aim of the exhibition is to change the narrative around museum collections using contemporary art to reimagine how the bird skins are presented to visitors using creative and accessible approaches to cataloguing.

The project will be supported by curators and collections teams from Leicester Museum to share information about traditional cataloguing and preservation techniques for natural science collections.

Visitors to the exhibition can expect to see a diverse collection of birds grouped together by colour alongside artworks that use observations of the birds including plumage, dimensions, tag details and further research into its habitat, conservation status, feeding habits and more to build up a full profile of each specimen.

‘Colour Coded Birds’ is open at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery until March 2023. More information available here.