Art and the Animal on View June 3 through September 3, 2017
Update 8/31/17: This Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 2&3 is the final weekend for the Art and the Animal exhibition at the MSV. Want to see it for FREE and help needy animals? Bring a donation of dog or cat food with you for the Winchester SPCA or Frederick County’s Esther Boyd Shelter for FREE ADMISSION on Saturday and Sunday, September 2 & 3.
Winchester, VA 06/01/17…An exhibition featuring some of the world’s best contemporary animal art will be on view in the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) from June 3 through September 3, 2017.
A traveling exhibition, Art and the Animal presents a selection of more than 60 paintings, drawings, and sculpture of animals from around the globe created by members of the Society of Animal Artists.
The MSV display of Art and the Animal offers the public the final opportunity to see this impressive collection of fine art. The MSV is the final venue on the exhibition’s 2016–17 tour which has also included museums in Texas, New Jersey, and Kansas. The tour of Art and the Animal is directed by noted wildlife art scholar and author David J. Wagner, PhD, and the exhibition’s presentation at the MSV is sponsored by 92.5 WINC FM.
According to MSV Director of Exhibitions Corwyn Garman, the display of Art and the Animal marks the first time the MSV has presented an exhibition solely featuring the genre of animal art. Garman expects the exhibition to have a broad appeal and notes that the caliber of the works included in the exhibition will be of interest to fine art connoisseurs as well as wildlife enthusiasts.
The exhibition includes works portraying both wild and domestic animals in a variety of media ranging from a bronze sculpture of an African black rhino and a charcoal drawing of a Percheron horse to an oil painting of a pair of yellow Labrador retrievers. Dozens of species of animals are featured in the exhibition, including zebras, elephants, tigers, Atlantic puffins, river otters, a Friesian horse, koi, the Arctic fox, brown pelicans, an armadillo, the Pacific giant octopus, kangaroo rats, the domestic cat, frogs, and the American robin.
The MSV display of Art and the Animal includes a hands-on, family friendly activity that encourages visitors to match animals commonly found in the Shenandoah Valley with the tracks that these animals leave. Some of the Valley animals tracks featured in the “Critter Crawl” activity include the American black bear, cottontail rabbit, raccoon, coyote, skunk, turkey, whitetail deer, beaver, and the bobcat.
The MSV will host a Summer Soirée celebrating the opening of the exhibition from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 3. Those interested in attending should register in advance HERE or by calling 540-662-1473, ext. 213. The fee to attend the reception—which is sponsored by the VNB Wealth Management and includes admission to the exhibition, dancing, hors d’Oeuvres, and a champagne toast—is $40 to MSV Members and $50 for all others.
A regional cultural center, the MSV is located at 901 Amherst Street in Winchester, Virginia. The MSV includes galleries, the Glen Burnie House, and seven acres of gardens. The galleries and exhibitions are open year-round; the house and gardens are open April through December. The site is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through December (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. January through March). Admission is $10 or $8 for seniors and youth ages 13 to 18. General admission is always free to youth ages 12 and under and to MSV Members. Thanks to sponsor Howard Shockey & Sons, Inc., admission is free to all every Wednesday and during the weeks between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the MSV is open free of charge each Wednesday until 8 p.m. Additional details about the exhibition and a variety of complementary programs are available at www.theMSV.org or by calling 540-662-1473, ext. 235. –END–
About Art and the Animal and the Society of Animal Artists:
The mission of the Society of Animal Artists (SAA) is to promote excellence in the portrayal of animals, domestic or wild, in art. SAA members live in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. The Society of Animal Artists is regarded worldwide as the more prestigious artist membership organization dedicated to the theme of animals in art.
Combining natural history and fine art in creative ways, Art and the Animal is the annual traveling exhibition of the Society of Animal Artists. During the last 50 years, Art and the Animal has been featured at more than 50 venues, including zoos, museums and cultural and science centers throughout North America. Each year SAA members compete to have their work included in an exhibition chosen by a jury of SAA colleagues. From this annual exhibition, a committee of SAA members selects a traveling exhibition, Art and the Animal.
To learn more, visit www.societyofanimalartists.com.
Above: Brute Force (African black rhino), by Mick Doellinger, SAA. The tour of Art and the Animal, from the Society of Animal Artists 56th Annual Exhibition, is directed by David J. Wager, PhD. Its display at the MSV is sponsored by 92.5 WINC FM.
