Elizabeth Turk's The Tipping Point: Echoes of Extinction

In continuation of the multiyear outdoor sculpture program launched in 2022 to activate the Museum’s grounds, Elizabeth Turk’s The Tipping Point: Echoes of Extinction will mark the third installation in this initiative. Turk’s series comprises vertical sound sculptures of bird species that are endangered or are extinct. 

Each artwork is a sculptural visualization of the call of a bird that has reached, or surpassed, a tipping point. Whether it is a story of loss (the Ivory-billed Woodpecker) or regeneration (Bald Eagle), each sculpture stands as a totemic memorial to a particular species, reminding us of our role in the precious and delicate—and quickly changing—environment. 

Accompanying each sculpture is a QR code containing the audio files of the bird’s song; many of the species inhabit, or were previously found, in Texas.

Credit: Overview from museum website