Painting of Concord River — Summer on Concord River by Barry Van Dusen

Museum of American Bird Art

The Museum of American Bird Art at Mass Audubon (MABA) is a professional art museum and home to Mass Audubon's extensive art collection.

While the gallery is currently closed, MABA is developing a new vision for sharing and featuring world-class bird art. Past exhibitions featured art by internationally recognized artists whose work is inspired by nature.

Cameron Prairie © Anne S. Faust (serigraph, 1993). Mass Audubon Collection. — Cameron Prairie © Anne S. Faust

Art Collection

Mass Audubon’s bird art collection spans four centuries and many genres thanks to generous gifts and bequests as well as purchases.

Explore

Featured Stories

House Finch, Pimalo County (1965) by Sharon Beals. Photograph.

A Sky of Her Own

These artists ignite our curiosity and passion for the natural world through the wondrous birds we encounter every day and those farther afield.
Rendering

Building a New Center for Art at Mass Audubon

By drawing on both our historical collections as well as amplifying contemporary voices, MABA will create a space that engages artists and explores new media, from dance and performance to soundscapes and environmental art.
"Animals in Make-up, Bald Eagle" ©Andy Warhol

A Peek Inside the Mass Audubon Vault: Andy Warhol’s “Animals in Make-up”

Mass Audubon was lucky enough to acquire two pieces directly from Andy Warhol in 1983, and they remain fascinating pieces in our expanding collection of art today.
© Barry Van Dusen

Museum of American Bird Art's New Acquisitions

In 2024, Mass Audubon’s Museum of American Bird Art (MABA) proudly expanded its collection with four notable works of art, all through the generosity of donors who support our efforts to curate a meaningful and relevant collection and educate audiences about the wonder of birds through art.
© Ewoud de Groot

Recent Gifts of Art

We are thrilled to report the recent gift from the Judy and Tony King Foundation of 125 photographic prints by King from among his extensive opus of bird photography.
Frost on meadows off Ball’s Hill, November 1897, by William Brewster

MABA Receives Grant to Digitize Historic Photos

MABA has received a special grant from the Nuttall Ornithological Club (NOC) to digitize a collection of photographic images taken in the late 1880’s through early 1990’s by William Brewster, who served as Mass Audubon’s first president from 1896 through 1913.
Wednesday Bucco, Hummingbirds

MassArt Students Create Artwork Inspired by Museum of American Bird Art Collection

Mass Audubon’s Museum of American Bird Art (MABA) is excited to announce a recent collaboration with the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Mass Art).
Summer on Concord River by Barry Van Dusen

Past Exhibitions

Past exhibitions at the Museum of American Bird Art have explored artworks by a wide range of artists.
Unlocking the Past: Preserving the Stories Behind William Brewster’s Glass Plates

At the Museum of American Bird Art, efforts are underway to preserve and digitize a remarkable collection of glass plate negatives by ornithologist William Brewster.
Loons with Eggs, silkscreen by Philip Young, 1982. Mass Audubon Collection; Gift of Liza F. Carter, 2025.

8 New Pieces Added to Mass Audubon's Art Collection

The Museum of American Bird Art’s 2025 art acquisitions tell a story of observation, care for place, and the deep ties between artists and the natural world the museum has long championed. The additions range from contemporary pieces to historic prints, each one strengthening the collection while honoring the traditions and landscapes that shape the MABA’s mission.