As fellow residents of Earth, animals have always fascinated humans, especially the artists among us. Thus many creatures appear in prehistoric cave paintings, and today the desire to depict them endures, actually stronger than ever. This season is an ideal time to learn why, thanks to an array of superb exhibitions on view across North America.
Among the nest is the 56th annual exhibition of the Society of Animal Artists (SAA), appearing at the Houston Museum of Natural Science September 23–January 1. A total of 121 artists have been juried in, and after this show closes in Houston, 60 of its works will travel as part of SAA’s Art and the Animal exhibition during much of 2017; these venues are the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum (Oradell, NJ, January 21–March 12), Sternberg Museum of Natural History (Hays, KS, March 25–May 12), and Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (Winchester, VA, May 27–September 4). When the show opens in Houston this September, SAA will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to the sculptor Kent Ullberg, whose work was illustrated in the marine article in the August 2016 issue of Fine Art Connoisseur. This is only the third time SAA has bestowed this prestigious honor in its 60-year history.
This is an excerpt from “Feathers, Fur & Fins: Animal Art is Thriving”. Find the full article in the September / October 2016 Edition of Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine.