Chat with Artist Brian Gibson as He Sculpts on Tide Pool Plaza 

Tuesday-Friday through November 20

For the first time ever, Birch Aquarium is hosting an artist/scientist-in-residence. On select days in October and November, Brian Gibson will be working to create true-to-life sculptures of local shorebirds that will become a permanent fixture on Tide Pool Plaza. 

While Gibson works, guests will have the opportunity to see sculptures of a Great Blue Heron and two Black Oystercatchers come to life, while he answers questions and engages with guests from a safe distance on Tide Pool Plaza. 

Gibson — who has  been developing, designing, and fabricating exhibits for museums and nature centers in San Diego for years — will be building armatures of wire and recycled foam scraps that will then be covered with modeling clay before being taken to a foundry for casting in bronze. 

The shorebird sculptures will be permanently installed at Birch Aquarium in early 2021, adding to Gibson’s impressive portfolio, which includes projects for San Diego Natural History Museum, the Bonita Museum and Cultural Center, Mission Trails Regional Park, Tecolote Canyon Nature Center, the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego History Center, and the San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center.