Join Barry Van Dusen in this celebration of the rich biological diversity in Massachusetts and the Mass Audubon sanctuary system. In the last decade, Barry has been Artist-in-Residence at several museums and botanic gardens around New England, and most recently, he finished a five year project visiting and painting at all of Mass Audubon’s sanctuaries throughout Massachusetts. This project resulted in a book, FINDING SANCTUARY, published in Spring 2020. In this illustrated talk, Barry will share stories and paintings from his previous residencies, with a focus on his latest and most ambitious residency project. 

Barry W. Van Dusen, residing in Massachusetts, USA, has illustrated many publications for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and his bird illustrations have appeared in books published by the American Birding Association, HarperCollins, Princeton University Press and Cornell University (Comstock). At the invitation of the Artists for Nature Foundation, Barry has traveled to Spain, England, Ireland, India, Peru and Israel, working alongside other wildlife artists to raise money for conservation of threatened habitats. Barry was elected a full member of Britain’s Society of Wildlife Artists in 1994, and he contributes annually to their London exhibition. In 2014, Barry was named Master Artist at the annual BIRDS IN ART show (Wausau, Wisconsin) - an award which recognizes artists who have shown “outstanding achievement in using bird imagery in their artwork”. Previous recipients of the award include Roger Tory Peterson and Robert Bateman.

Thank you to our Summer Reading sponsors: The Greater Worcester Community Foundation, UniBank, Mattina R. Proctor Foundation, Country Bank, Walmart, Cornerstone Bank, District Attorney Joseph D. Early, Jr.’s Office, Price Chopper’s Golub Foundation, Bob’s Discount Furniture, bankHometown, Friends of the Worcester Public Library, and the Worcester Public Library Foundation.