It’s all about birds in the coming weeks at the Tacoma Nature Center.

It begins Friday with the opening of “For the Love of Birds,” an art exhibit featuring the work of Eatonville wildlife artist Dale C. Thompson. The exhibit will run through Dec. 19.

The center will host an artist reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday to kick off the exhibit.

Thompson gained his appreciation for wildlife while working for the National Park Service. In 1981, he resigned his position as chief naturalist at Mount Rainier National Park to devote energy to painting full time.

Thompson is known for having painted the lampshades that hang in the lobby at Paradise inn at the park. He also has won numerous awards for his work, including the Washington Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year in 1985 and the 2004 Margaret K. Williams Award for Excellence in the Arts from the Pierce County Arts Commission.

The exhibit is open during center hours, typically from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

On Monday, the center will be the place for a beginning birding class that focuses on birds that winter around Puget Sound. Participants will learn how to identify the most common and colorful waterfowl and other winter birds with a local masterbirder and bird educator. The class is designed for beginners to learn the basic skills needed to start discovering the birds that live in the area.

The class will meet on Mondays through Nov. 16, from 6:45 to 9 p.m. There will be local field trips on Nov. 7 and Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The class is for people 18 and older. The cost is $45 for Audubon Society members and $55 for nonmembers.

To register, participants should call the center at 253-591-6439. The center is located at 1919 S. Tyler St., Tacoma.