The Bird Girl statue was removed from Bonaventure Cemetery primarily due to concerns about potential vandalism and theft, as well as the significant increase in visitors to the grave plot it overlooked.
Reasons for the Bird Girl's Removal
Following its prominent feature on the cover of John Berendt's 1994 book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the Bird Girl statue became an unexpected celebrity. This surge in popularity led to an overwhelming number of tourists flocking to Bonaventure Cemetery, specifically to the grave plot where the statue stood.
The family responsible for the statue made the decision to remove it to safeguard its integrity and maintain the peaceful nature of the cemetery. The key reasons for its relocation included:
- Protection Against Vandalism and Theft: With the statue's newfound fame, there was a growing concern that it could become a target for damage or theft. Protecting the sculpture from such risks was a primary motivation.
- Managing Increased Foot Traffic: The sheer volume of visitors to the grave plot became unmanageable, disrupting the solemnity of the cemetery and creating issues related to crowd control.
Current Location
To ensure its preservation and allow the public to continue appreciating it in a controlled environment, the family generously donated the Bird Girl statue to the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia. It is now on permanent public display at the Jepson Center for the Arts, part of the Telfair Museums complex, offering a safe and accessible way for visitors to see this iconic piece of art.
