Art Access II Gallery is pleased to welcome graphic artist Carol Sogard and her installation Bagging Birds. This thought-provoking show will hang from January 18 through February 8. The artist's reception will be held on Friday, January 18 during the Salt Lake Gallery Association's Gallery Stroll.

Sogard, who is assistant professor of graphic arts at the University of Utah says that she often struggles with the moral implications of her chosen career path. She theorizes that because brand promotion is an integral part of the graphic arts, designers are ultimately responsible for the creation of an over-consumptive population and an ecosystem that is rapidly declining.

The installation of 130 'plastic bagged birds' attempts to shed light on the environmental impacts of our plastic trash in the hopes of encouraging consumers to think differently about their habits of consumption.

Sogard gives as an example the albatross, which will fly hundreds of miles to feed its baby chicks pieces of plastic, which it mistakenly thinks of as food. Albatross carcasses are found on beaches filled with hundreds of plastic pieces, discarded by consumers.

The artist explains, "I recently began to construct seabirds out of plastic trash because birds are attracted to the graphics and colors on plastic bags, bottles and other plastic waste. Through displaying plastic bags in a form that is not typical or expected, I hope to draw attention to this issue."

Art Access II Gallery hours are M F, 10 to 6.

Location: Art Access Gallery, 339 W. Pierpont Ave.