Sponsor: In Memory of Jack and Peg Pinney
My parents moved to Irondequoit in 1956 to educate their three daughters, Carol, Barbara and Nancy, in the West Irondequoit Central School District. They actively participated, by volunteering, attending all of our functions, and never missing a vote. Mr. Wilson’s window would delight them. They loved nature in all its aspects and they were avid bird watchers; on their evening walks through the neighborhood, on the banks of trout streams, and on their walks on through the parks and beaches of the world. They passed this love of birds on to their children through the big windows in the dining room and living room of their house on Allwood Drive.

When I too had children to educate, I moved back to Irondequoit. My work, starting in 1991 East Irondequoit, and since January, 1998 in West Irondequoit, is to help maintain, adapt, rebuild and build our educational buildings and grounds. My daughter, Alexandra was born in October 1985 to help us recover from my father’s death in September of 1984, will graduate from IHS in June 2003. My son, Teddy Jack, will graduate from IHS in 2007. They too look through the windows to see the birds decorating the backyard with their color, movement and song. My "Window on Irondequoit" is that generation after generation of families will continue to find Irondequoit to be a wonderful place to raise and educate children.

Title: "Songbird"
Artist: Craig Wilson
Window Dimensions: ~ 36" x 36"


Craig Wilson is well known for realistic welded steel wildlife sculpture that he began creating in the late 1960's. His work can be found in public and private collections,and he has exhibited in shows sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, the Cincinnati Zoo, the Denver Museum of Natural History, the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, and the prestigious "Birds in Art" show at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin. Locally, his sculpture "Leap Frogs" can be seen in the John Wehle Gallery of Western and Sporting Art at the Genesee Country Village, and his horse "Giddyup History" can be seen outside the entrance to the Strong Museum, where Craig is employed as a 3-D designer in the exhibits department.

Currently, Craig has been working in wood, carving figuratively with a chainsaw and chisels, and building rustic furniture. His studio is located behind his home in West Irondequoit, where he has lived for seven years. For his Songbird Window, several life sized birds are attached to the window frame. Birds and carved leaves will be painted or stained with natural wood tones at the artist's discretion. Each bird will be unique; one will be "singing."


© 2003 West Irondequoit Foundation.
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