From So Simple a Beginning by Jane Kim

This colorful mural covers the wall leading to the Auditorium, but the best views can be found upstairs.

What was once a blank white wall now serves as home to 243 surviving bird families. From So Simple a Beginning depicts over 375 million years of avian evolution. Prehistoric and extinct species are pictured in monochrome, with living birds painted in vibrant, life-like colors. Completed in November 2015, this mural spans nearly 3000 square feet. Artist Jane Kim invites visitors to contemplate both the diversity and the evolutionary forces that led to each species' presence in the mural today. The Lab also provides an accompanying online tour, allowing people to learn about each bird as well as their corresponding families.

Founder of Ink Dwell studio, Jane Kim received her BFA at Rhode Island School of Design and was part of the Bartels Science Illustration Program here at the Cornell Lab. She also holds a master's certificate in Scientific Illustration from California State University, Monterey Bay. In addition to her work at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, she has also created pieces for the National Aquarium, Smithsonian, and Yosemite National Park.