Artist in Residence Gallery

Join us for our 2nd annual Artist in Residence Closing Gallery as we showcase the amazing art influence by the birds here at Tracy Aviary!

Admire the beautiful paintings our Artist in Residence, Alison H. Spencer, worked on throughout her residency beginning in June 2026. Enjoy strolling through several prints of birds and hear directly from Alison about her artwork. Small bites will be provided, and prints will be available for purchase.

Date: Friday, October 30, 2026

Time: 5:30 – 7:30 pm

Location: Chase Mill, Tracy Aviary in Liberty Park (589 E 1300 S)

Price: FREE

About Allison H. Spencer

Alison earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts at Utah Valley University in 2023. She currently resides in the foothills of Utah with her husband, children, and dogs, where she enjoys hiking and exploring with all of them, but also painting and writing on her own.

Her bird story began long before she was born. Her dad grew up in Bountiful, not far from the shores of the Great Salt Lake. When he was 8 years old, he rode his bike across the brand-new, still-closed freeway to the shores of the Lake. He had never been to the wild parts before—the smoothness of the freeway was a magnet for him and his bike, the perfect bridge to a whole new world. He startled a flock of THOUSANDS of white pelicans that took off all at once. They sounded like a jet engine; there were so many of them. He had never seen pelicans before, and never guessed that something so majestic could be in Utah.

That moment made him fall in love with birds, and eventually, his passion rubbed off on her, too. Even now that her dad is 80, they still go birding every week. He is blind, so he can’t enjoy the birds in the same way he used to, but thanks to the Merlin Bird ID app, they savor every moment listening to the birds in our community and beyond.

When she was young, her family would go on adventures around the world to hunt for birds with their binoculars. When they moved west, they’d often explore wetlands around their home, watching the shorebirds, pelicans, eagles, and osprey, cranes, terns, meadowlarks, ducks, herons, and, on still winter nights, owls. The birds we have in Utah are equal in magnificence to birds anywhere in the world.

Recently there has been passionate discussion about the future of our lakes and their surrounding marshes. While land development and growth are important to our state, it remains our responsibility to ensure this growth is done wisely to minimize our impact on native plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife that are sensitive to development.

Her hope with these portraits is that you’ll take the time to see a small handful of the hundreds of remarkable, beautiful species of birds that depend on our lakes and the messy, marshy lands surrounding them. As we discuss the future of our home, let us keep in mind what we stand to lose –permanently– with each decision.