Exhibitions
Current Exhibitions
Wild New Ways: Maurice Sendak's Animal KingdomTravels in the Interior of North America: Etchings by Karl Bodmer
Upcoming Exhibitions
Great Plains: America's Lingering Wild, Photography by Michael ForsbergAfrican Adventures with William R. Leigh and his Contemporaries
Collection Spotlight: Rembrandt Bugatti and the Antwerp School
Dusk to Dawn: Nocturnes from the Collection
A Change of Seasons: Wildlife in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Wild New Ways: Maurice Sendak's Animal Kingdom
05/15/2010 - 09/19/2010
From common pets to mythical beasts, nearly all of the 108 books illustrated by Maurice Sendak include animals of some kind. Drawn from the Rosenbach Museum and Library's collection of original Sendak material, this exhibition showcases wild things alongside their more domestic counterparts. Sendak's veritable bestiary ranges from dogs, farm animals, and well-behaved bears to the famous Wild Things and their untamed brethren. The 30 original illustrations show the range of styles with which Sendak captures the textures of fur, feathers, and scales, such as his precise pen and ink drawings for The Bat-Poet and the soft watercolors of Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present. Visitors can glimpse Sendak's sketch of lions at the Central Park Zoo from the 1950s and read an early draft of Where the Wild Things Are in which a wolfish Max commands, "Show me wild new ways." This exhibition was organized by the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia and will be on view at the National Museum of Wildlife Art from May 15 to September 19, 2010.
Generously sponsored by Platinum: In Memory of Jim Petersen; Gold: Lynn & Foster Friess, Georgene & John Tozzi; Silver: Graham4: Terra+Faupel+Faupel, and Jade & David Walsh.
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05/15/2010 - 09/19/2010
From common pets to mythical beasts, nearly all of the 108 books illustrated by Maurice Sendak include animals of some kind. Drawn from the Rosenbach Museum and Library's collection of original Sendak material, this exhibition showcases wild things alongside their more domestic counterparts. Sendak's veritable bestiary ranges from dogs, farm animals, and well-behaved bears to the famous Wild Things and their untamed brethren. The 30 original illustrations show the range of styles with which Sendak captures the textures of fur, feathers, and scales, such as his precise pen and ink drawings for The Bat-Poet and the soft watercolors of Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present. Visitors can glimpse Sendak's sketch of lions at the Central Park Zoo from the 1950s and read an early draft of Where the Wild Things Are in which a wolfish Max commands, "Show me wild new ways." This exhibition was organized by the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia and will be on view at the National Museum of Wildlife Art from May 15 to September 19, 2010.Generously sponsored by Platinum: In Memory of Jim Petersen; Gold: Lynn & Foster Friess, Georgene & John Tozzi; Silver: Graham4: Terra+Faupel+Faupel, and Jade & David Walsh.
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Travels in the Interior of North America: Etchings by Karl Bodmer
05/08/2010 - 10/17/2010
Complementing Karl Bodmer's original sketches of western wildlife from the Joslyn Art Museum, the Museum will feature a selection of his amazing etchings from its own collection of prints from Travels in the Interior of North America:. A record of Prince Maximilian's scientific observations illustrated with etchings by Bodmer, Travels premiered in Europe between 1839 and 1843 and was among the first publications to showcase the American West. Including portraits of Native Americans, landscapes, and wildlife, the selections from the book featured in this exhibit display the diversity of subjects Bodmer encountered on his expedition with Prince Maximilian up the Missouri River from 1832 – 1834.
Generously sponsored by Stonehollow Collection.
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05/08/2010 - 10/17/2010
Complementing Karl Bodmer's original sketches of western wildlife from the Joslyn Art Museum, the Museum will feature a selection of his amazing etchings from its own collection of prints from Travels in the Interior of North America:. A record of Prince Maximilian's scientific observations illustrated with etchings by Bodmer, Travels premiered in Europe between 1839 and 1843 and was among the first publications to showcase the American West. Including portraits of Native Americans, landscapes, and wildlife, the selections from the book featured in this exhibit display the diversity of subjects Bodmer encountered on his expedition with Prince Maximilian up the Missouri River from 1832 – 1834. Generously sponsored by Stonehollow Collection.
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Great Plains: America's Lingering Wild, Photography by Michael Forsberg
10/02/2010 - 01/30/2011
From Michael Forsberg:
Less than 200 years ago, the Great Plains of North America were perhaps the greatest grassland ecosystem on Earth. Then, in the blink of an evolutionary eye, much of its grandeur was gone. As American settlers expanded west, the native grazers, top predators, and indigenous cultures of the plains were systematically wiped out. The prairie was plowed up, fenced in, overgrazed, paved over, and otherwise degraded. Today, this fragmented landscape is the most endangered and least protected ecosystem on the continent.
To many people, the Great Plains are an empty stage. To others, the Plains are a dynamic but forgotten landscape — overlooked, undervalued, misunderstood, and in desperate need of conservation. This project helps lead the way forward — inspiring, informing, and enabling visitors to recognize and recapture the wild spirit of these Great Plains.
Generously sponsored by Elizabeth McCabe/JH News&Guide; Gabelli Funds, LLC, in honor of Lynn & Foster Friess; Monsanto; Old Bill’s Fun Run XIII; Spring Creek Ranch; Marcie & Mike Taylor; and Anonymous.
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10/02/2010 - 01/30/2011
From Michael Forsberg: Less than 200 years ago, the Great Plains of North America were perhaps the greatest grassland ecosystem on Earth. Then, in the blink of an evolutionary eye, much of its grandeur was gone. As American settlers expanded west, the native grazers, top predators, and indigenous cultures of the plains were systematically wiped out. The prairie was plowed up, fenced in, overgrazed, paved over, and otherwise degraded. Today, this fragmented landscape is the most endangered and least protected ecosystem on the continent.
To many people, the Great Plains are an empty stage. To others, the Plains are a dynamic but forgotten landscape — overlooked, undervalued, misunderstood, and in desperate need of conservation. This project helps lead the way forward — inspiring, informing, and enabling visitors to recognize and recapture the wild spirit of these Great Plains.
Generously sponsored by Elizabeth McCabe/JH News&Guide; Gabelli Funds, LLC, in honor of Lynn & Foster Friess; Monsanto; Old Bill’s Fun Run XIII; Spring Creek Ranch; Marcie & Mike Taylor; and Anonymous.
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African Adventures with William R. Leigh and his Contemporaries
10/02/2010 - 04/02/2011
In 1926, famed western artist William R. Leigh joined an expedition led by naturalist and sculptor Carl Akeley to gather material for the African Hall of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The studies he created during that trip formed the basis upon which many of the diorama backgrounds were created. Leigh also used his African experiences to pen Frontiers of Enchantment: An Artist's Adventures in Africa (published in 1938). During the fall of 2010 and winter of 2011, the Museum will display the original illustrations Leigh created for his book. These wonderfully rendered works will be on view alongside the sculptures of other artists who worked at the American Museum including Carl Akeley, James Lippitt Clark , Robert Rockwell , Louis Paul Jonas, and Charles R. Knight.
Generously sponsored by Ann & Kent Nelson.
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10/02/2010 - 04/02/2011
In 1926, famed western artist William R. Leigh joined an expedition led by naturalist and sculptor Carl Akeley to gather material for the African Hall of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The studies he created during that trip formed the basis upon which many of the diorama backgrounds were created. Leigh also used his African experiences to pen Frontiers of Enchantment: An Artist's Adventures in Africa (published in 1938). During the fall of 2010 and winter of 2011, the Museum will display the original illustrations Leigh created for his book. These wonderfully rendered works will be on view alongside the sculptures of other artists who worked at the American Museum including Carl Akeley, James Lippitt Clark , Robert Rockwell , Louis Paul Jonas, and Charles R. Knight.Generously sponsored by Ann & Kent Nelson.
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Collection Spotlight: Rembrandt Bugatti and the Antwerp School
10/23/2010 - 04/24/2011
Rembrandt Bugatti ranks among the most influential animal artists of the 20th century. Working from live animal models at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and later at the Antwerp Zoological Gardens in Belgium, Bugatti brought a sense of immediacy to his work as he captured the individual characteristics of specific animals. Modeling impressionistically, he sculpted his animal subjects in quiet poses, either standing alone, engaged in day-to-day activities, or interacting peacefully in a group. Bugatti received critical acclaim for his sculpture from an early age. His father, a well-known Italian furniture designer, first recognized Rembrandt's talents at the age of 15, when a family friend discovered a sculpture of cows that the boy had hidden in his father's workshop. In Antwerp, Bugatti worked alongside fellow animalier artists Alberic Collin and Frans Jochems, in the supportive artistic environment of the Antwerp Zoo. A great influence on their sculpture, he also served as friend and mentor to the reclusive Italian sculptor Guido Righetti. Two castings of Righetti's extremely rare work will be on display alongside works by Bugatti, Collin, and Jochems. Also on view will be work by contemporary artists influenced by the masterful work of Bugatti and his contemporaries.
Generously sponsored by Barbara Carlsberg, Eliza & Tom Chrystie, and Barbara & John Vogelstein.
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10/23/2010 - 04/24/2011
Rembrandt Bugatti ranks among the most influential animal artists of the 20th century. Working from live animal models at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris and later at the Antwerp Zoological Gardens in Belgium, Bugatti brought a sense of immediacy to his work as he captured the individual characteristics of specific animals. Modeling impressionistically, he sculpted his animal subjects in quiet poses, either standing alone, engaged in day-to-day activities, or interacting peacefully in a group. Bugatti received critical acclaim for his sculpture from an early age. His father, a well-known Italian furniture designer, first recognized Rembrandt's talents at the age of 15, when a family friend discovered a sculpture of cows that the boy had hidden in his father's workshop. In Antwerp, Bugatti worked alongside fellow animalier artists Alberic Collin and Frans Jochems, in the supportive artistic environment of the Antwerp Zoo. A great influence on their sculpture, he also served as friend and mentor to the reclusive Italian sculptor Guido Righetti. Two castings of Righetti's extremely rare work will be on display alongside works by Bugatti, Collin, and Jochems. Also on view will be work by contemporary artists influenced by the masterful work of Bugatti and his contemporaries.Generously sponsored by Barbara Carlsberg, Eliza & Tom Chrystie, and Barbara & John Vogelstein.
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Dusk to Dawn: Nocturnes from the Collection
10/30/2010 - 05/01/2011
Dusk to Dawn highlights work from the Permanent Collection depicting animals during the hours from early evening through late morning, a favorite time for wildlife to venture out of hiding and forage for food. Twilight is also a favorite time among artists to paint; the low light creates glorious sunsets, long shadows, and amazing, often moody, atmospheric effects. This exhibit opens discussions about the practice of painting nocturnes and twilight scenes as it facilitates education about nocturnal animal behavior. With artists ranging from historic painters such as Georges-Frederick Rotig and Frank Tenney Johnson to contemporary painters like Lars Jonsson and Bob Kuhn, Dusk to Dawn will showcase the enduring power of painting in the mysterious, muted hours from sunset to sunrise.
Generously sponsored by Tally & Bill Mingst and Wyoming Arts Council.
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10/30/2010 - 05/01/2011
Dusk to Dawn highlights work from the Permanent Collection depicting animals during the hours from early evening through late morning, a favorite time for wildlife to venture out of hiding and forage for food. Twilight is also a favorite time among artists to paint; the low light creates glorious sunsets, long shadows, and amazing, often moody, atmospheric effects. This exhibit opens discussions about the practice of painting nocturnes and twilight scenes as it facilitates education about nocturnal animal behavior. With artists ranging from historic painters such as Georges-Frederick Rotig and Frank Tenney Johnson to contemporary painters like Lars Jonsson and Bob Kuhn, Dusk to Dawn will showcase the enduring power of painting in the mysterious, muted hours from sunset to sunrise.Generously sponsored by Tally & Bill Mingst and Wyoming Arts Council.
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A Change of Seasons: Wildlife in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
02/12/2011 - 05/01/2011
T.D. Kelsey's A Change of Seasons greets every visitor as they drive up Rungius Road to the Museum. His work depicts two bison shedding their heavy coats as Winter gives way to Spring. Taking a cue from Kelsey's work, the National Museum of Wildlife Art presents A Change of Seasons: Wildlife in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, an exhibition that focuses on artists' interpretations of how wildlife responds to the four seasons.
One of the strengths of the Museum's Permanent Collection is its breadth and flexibility, which allows us to explore a variety of topics, from art history to natural behavior. Because many artists pride themselves on their accuracy in terms of recording animal behavior in the wild, the Museum can use its collection to show how animals adapt to the various seasons of the year. From bears fattening up for their long winter hibernation to elk in velvet, this exhibit shows not only beautiful artwork, but also wildlife in different stages of development, preparing for the coming season.
Generously sponsored by Gloria & Bill Newton, GAMCO Investors, Inc., and Carol & Dean Spatz.
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02/12/2011 - 05/01/2011
T.D. Kelsey's A Change of Seasons greets every visitor as they drive up Rungius Road to the Museum. His work depicts two bison shedding their heavy coats as Winter gives way to Spring. Taking a cue from Kelsey's work, the National Museum of Wildlife Art presents A Change of Seasons: Wildlife in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, an exhibition that focuses on artists' interpretations of how wildlife responds to the four seasons.One of the strengths of the Museum's Permanent Collection is its breadth and flexibility, which allows us to explore a variety of topics, from art history to natural behavior. Because many artists pride themselves on their accuracy in terms of recording animal behavior in the wild, the Museum can use its collection to show how animals adapt to the various seasons of the year. From bears fattening up for their long winter hibernation to elk in velvet, this exhibit shows not only beautiful artwork, but also wildlife in different stages of development, preparing for the coming season.
Generously sponsored by Gloria & Bill Newton, GAMCO Investors, Inc., and Carol & Dean Spatz.
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