Late in 2006, Urban Bird Studies invited individuals to submit samples of their work to be considered for the "Birds in the City" poster project. 

The poster will feature illustrations of a number of bird species common to urban  environments. It will be distributed widely to raise awareness about "Celebrate Urban Birds!" and to act as an identification guide for those participating in the May bird count.

The artist selected for this project is Katie Yamasaki, a painter and muralist from Brooklyn, New York.  A strong cultural flavor invigorates Katie's work and urban culture is central to many of her pieces.

Katie teaches 4th-8th grades at  Ballet Tech, The New York City Public School for Dance. Her students often serve as the subject of her work.  Previously, Katie also taught Spanish in both New York and Detroit public schools.  

Katie uses murals as a means for public expression and has encouraged others around her to do the same. Katie has partnered with the Brooklyn-based Groundswell Community Mural Project to encourage youth to engage in an open diaologue with the community through large-scale mural projects. Established in 1996, Groundswell partners professional artists with  young men and women to create high-quailty murals in underrepresented communities. Learn more about Ground swell at  www.groundswellmural.org

Katie earned her Bachelors of Arts from Earlham College and a Masters of Fine Arts degree in illustration from the School of Visual  Arts in New York City.

To see more of Katie's work please visit www.katieyamasaki.com