Inside the wonderfully eclectic Mt Victoria Museum are numerous cabinets of birds: some with startling bright colours, others with extravagant long tails, a group of tiny hummingbirds and many never seen on these shores (alive at least).
The stuffed species were part of the collection of Charles Melbourne Ward, a member of the Zoological Society London and, in the 1930s, honorary zoologist at the Australian Museum.
Ward was an avid collector of bird species, many from Papua New Guinea, Singapore and Mauritius.
In 1943 he moved to the Mountains and opened his Gallery of Natural History and Native Art in a long, narrow building at the Hydro in Medlow Bath. When he died, his collection was divided between the Australian Museum and the Mt Victoria Museum.
It is this "hidden treasure" that art curator Miriam Williamson hopes to draw on for an exhibition of birds.
Ms Williamson, who has been awarded a City of the Arts grant by Blue Mountains council for her project Birdland, has gathered together a team of four artists who will use the museum's exhibitions plus a small collection in the National Parks and Wildlife Service centre in Blackheath, as well as living birds in their natural habitat, to inspire their works.
"I knew there were a couple of hidden treasures in the Mountains and the museum at Mt Victoria," Ms Williamson said.
She approached the museum which was happy for the artists to use the specimens to create new work. The four artists involved have either worked in museums or have focused on natural history.
The resulting exhibition - be it of paintings, ceramics, prints, video, sound or other installation - will be shown at Mt Vic in November and again at the Blackheath NPWS in February.
Tim K. Jones, president of the Mt Victoria and district Historical Society, said: "It's fantastic that the museum is building connections with arts organisations to explore the collection."
Ms Williamson, a sound and visual artist from Hazelbrook, thanked the council for the grant.
Birdland is one of six given funding in this year's City of the Arts grants. The others are:
FunKtion@The Junction: In which young musicians/artists will be mentored by local creative industry professionals, culminating in a curated event at Junction 142 and the release of a single created by the supported artists;
Sewnup from the Modern Arts Projects Blue Mountains, which will investigate the tension between beautiful textiles and clothes and the often questionable aspects of their product cycle;
Re-take the Blue Mountains: David Brazil will re-photograph and re-imagine images of early 20th century Blue Mountains photos, creating new artworks and an exhibition;
BM Pluriversity arts and cultural program run by Blackheath-based The Big Fix, giving young people access to and hands-on learning and experience in a range of artistic careers, culminating in a publication and celebratory arts events; and
The inaugural Blue Mountains Writers' Festival, run by Varuna - the National Writers House, from August 22-25.