Q&A with Local Artist Greg Moeller
By Jenna Kessler, Business Manager
Photos by Jenna Kessler
Lafayette resident Greg Moeller crafted numerous bird houses, quail statues, and more that he attached to the back of street signs around Lafayette. See if you can spot any of this bird art around town!
Q: What pieces of public art have you contributed to Lafayette?
A: Well about 200 birdhouses [that] I have put on the backs of all kinds of street signs - speed limit [signs], stop signs, every spot I can find to put one up. I put [birdhouses] up and I also set up rows of quails that I put on the backs of signs. That is about it really.
Q: What inspired you to start placing the birdhouses around Lafayette?
A: My neighbor asked me if I would be interested in joining our little nonprofit that tries to beautify the neighborhood. The person responsible for planting the daffodils and the gardening was retiring, so I took that spot. They were looking to the city to see if we could have unique street signs - just enquiring about that for our neighborhood. The city said no. Then, I wondered about putting up birdhouses on the backs of them. I asked our chief of police at the time Eric Christinson if that was legal or could I do it and he said I wouldn’t be breaking any laws and I could go ahead and do that.
Q: What is your process for creating the birdhouses?
A: When I first started, I bought a few, but they were decorative and nice, but they weren’t really well built and they weren’t always to the right dimensions. So as I can do with many of the things I do, I got a little carried away and started reading up on it and learned how to make them myself. I get redwood and I cut it into different shapes and sizes depending on the type of bird that would use it. Then I cut the wood, give it two coats of paint, and then I got a little more carried away and started putting different types of roofs on them - a rock roof, a copper roof, a slate roof. I [also] developed themes like a wine theme or a dog or cat [theme], garden theme, farmhouse [theme]. So on and so forth.
Q: What types of birds do you build the houses for?
A: The primary birds I build the houses for are the small songbirds. The common ones are the oak titmouse and the chickadee. There are over 23 birds that will use birdhouses. Most of them get used. I go jogging in our neighborhood and almost all of them are getting used. It is kind of cute. My mother-in-law who lives next to us - I put up a bunch [of birdhouses] around her place in our little in-law unit - and we just watch them all day go in and out.
Q: What is your favorite piece of art that you have contributed to the community?
A: I think everyone likes the row of quails on the back of the stop sign as much if not more than the birdhouses.
Q: What feedback have you received from the community about your art?
A: I would say almost everybody loves it. The chief of police said please keep putting them up because all of the criminals think there are cameras in them. There are not. There are some I know, but not in any of mine. It seems like everyone loves them. There was one neighbor that filed a formal complaint and he was rather mad. It got to be a big to-do which I didn’t want anything to do with. The city made them official public art. I didn’t want anything to do with the confrontation. I was just trying to do my little thing. The primary goal in all of this is just to provide a bit of cheer and kindness and maybe give the town a little character, not to create an argument with [someone]. If someone didn’t want one, I wouldn’t do it. Now I give them to lots of different charities like garden clubs. Today I put up three at the Jewish temple here in Lafayette - Temple Isaiah and donated 11 they are going to take to L.A. for the wildfire victims. It is just a fun thing to do. I never charge for them or accept money. It is just a little hobby of mine. Everyone truly seems to love them - I hope.
Q: What would you say is the importance of public art?
A: [The importance of public art is] to give a community a little more character and a little more identity. A little bit of differentiation and also just to provide some pleasing scenery as you drive around. I don’t think it is necessarily a huge thing, but it can make for a nicer - even with all of the traffic in our town I look around at the public art that is up and I look at the beautiful buildings and the traffic doesn’t really bother me so much because it is all such a vibrant little downtown and so charming and the tree-lined streets. I just love all of that.
