The Icehouse Arts "Greenbelt" Project will be created in the west asphalt courtyard of the Ice House in participation with 5 elementary and high schools and numerous Arizona artists, culminating in the "Wings of the West" Festival December 5 & 6, 2008. The Icehouse will donate the land strip 14' by 104' for the installation, which will be overseen by landscape architect Luis Salazar. So.D.A (South Downtown Artists), a non-profit organization, will find sponsors and spearhead the project.

Wings of the West Festival, Dec 5 & 6, 2008

This Celebrate Urban Birds event will  include poetry, ceramic and paint workshops, educational demonstrations by bird rehabilitation organizations, and the development of a greenbelt which will cut through the Icehouse asphalt court and create a permanent bird-friendly habitat. This greenbelt will include sculptural elements such as bird baths and tile benches and the plantings will be chosen to appeal to both birds and those who watch them. Seasonal flowers and seed producing plants will be included. Bird films/videos and artistic bird photography will be screen projected during the event as well. Art activities will be included.

Xeriscaping is landscaping in ways that don't require supplemental irrigation. 

So.D.A. (South Downtown Arts)/The Icehouse

The Icehouse Arts Project and South Downtown Artists will work with local schools to create assemblages using the focal sixteen birds as models. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, puppets, short films and mixed media pieces produced will be exhibited during Wings of the West. During Wings, there will be workshops in shadow puppets ( bird silhouette recognition), bird drawing and making ceramic tiles or sculptures of bird motifs. Bird mask making has also been suggested. Any and all art exhibited or created will be avian inspired. Wings will soar.

A single sparrow and a few pigeons are already enjoying the birdbath and food in the IceHouse's existing garden, to be expanded into the Greenscape.

Honey bees love the Mesquite Tree

There will be lots and lots of bird art at the Wings of the West Festival.

The above sculpture/mixed media installation is titled "Light of the Night", by Melissa Martinez, photographed by Tom Marrs at The Icehouse for First Friday Art Tour, February 2, 2007.