Cindy Presant artist-in-residence at Birds Canada

By Bob Wood

Striding westward on Front Road, I’m heading towards Birds Canada headquarters and leaning into a cold wind.

Unseasonably cold, the experts say. The sandhill cranes are gone. The tundra swans too.

But spring migration has begun. Tree swallows have been seen at the wetlands. Scouts, I’m told, looking for nesting sights.

I’m heading there to learn more about a new initiative that will be taking place—an artist residency at Birds Canada.

Wonder what an artist residency is? It can take many forms according to Cindy Presant, the new and first artist in residence at Birds Canada for 2025.

“The residencies are artist creation opportunities. They can be found in public, private, or business venues providing opportunities for artists. In return the sponsoring organization receives benefits that give exposure to the organization and its goals and objectives,” she said.

Ms. Presant is no stranger to the area. A stone sculptor and painter, she has been creating, exhibiting, and selling art in Haldimand and Norfolk counties for the past 30 years. She has lived in Port Rowan since 2015. Her artwork is focused on nature, natural landscapes, wild plants and trees.

During the residency, Cindy will do drawings, paintings and stone carvings reflecting the bird-related projects at Birds Canada. She will also feature the diversity of birds that live in or stop over in Norfolk County.

She will focus on landscapes in the first of three series of artworks. The second series will highlight migration monitoring. The third is still to be determined.

There is a community component to the residency that has just finished. That involved six art-based, volunteer-led sessions at Birds Canada for the local community.

Beginning in January, sessions allowed participants to draw, paint, and work on bird jigsaw puzzles in the Natural Heritage Events Room at Birds Canada. The core of this group is the Artists by The Bay, a Port Rowan based community arts group.

“This residency is an opportunity to tell the story of their work and of the birds that live here through the artist’s eye. It will present the importance of bird conservation to the general public through the media of stone, ink, and paint,” says Cindy.

Readers can find out more about the residency and Cindy’s work on the Long Point Art Blog. A solo show is scheduled for January 2026 at Birds Canada.

Originally printed in the Good News, May 2025.