Visitors to Ocean City were offered a unique display of public art when the “Beach Birds” arrived in the spring of 2003.
Designed by local artists and sponsored by various Ocean City businesses, the five-foot tall fiberglass birds could be found all over town. In hotel lobbies, at City Hall and the airport, on the Boardwalk, and even perched on the roof at Seacrets, these unique birds delighted locals and visitors alike. They even had names such as “Jailbird” (at the police station), “Birdwalk Elvis” and “Gull Scout.”
The 82 colorfully decorated Beach Birds were auctioned off at the end of the season with the proceeds used to fund public art in Ocean City. Today a few of the surviving birds can still be found in various spots around town.
Photo by Bunk Mann