UP MAG Miss Birdy: Landscapes of Myth and Memory

https://upmag.com/miss-birdy-landscapes-of-myth-and-memory/

Thousands of miles away in the Florida sun, Birdy’s unyielding passion shines through the phone. She speaks so freely and enthusiastically as we discuss inspirations, projects, and creative life in small-town USA. Between anecdote exchanges, I can hear the rattle of her spray cans, then the steady whoosh of the paint escaping to the wall. Her focus never breaks. Her expressive storytelling and sharp wit seamlessly carry our conversation as she simultaneously paints her mural, titled Threads of Time, for the Reggae Rise-Up Florida Music and Arts Festival in St. Petersburg. She’s been attending the festival for the last three years. I begin to wonder how she can paint and carry on this in-depth conversation so well, so casually. 

A few hours after our call concludes, I open Instagram to check her progress and find myself in awe of a nearly completed wall. I catch myself wondering which parts I audibly witnessed her create through my phone speaker. Perhaps the spindly wisps of graying hair and feathered wrinkles softening an older woman’s face that mirrors her taut past self. Maybe the neon, electric-feeling current tracing the curves of both faces to connect their clear, understanding glances. Maybe Birdy’s own matching neon signature, sealed with a simple heart. Mind-boggling multi-tasking skills aside, Birdy’s talent is undeniable. This Midwestern small-town superstar has forged a space in street art that feels inimitable and permanent.