Show Preview | Society of Animal Artists

Oradell, NJ
Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum, September 2-October 29

Tamara Pokorny, Reflection, scratchboard/ink, 6 x 9.

Tamara Pokorny, Reflection, scratchboard/ink, 6 x 9.

This story was featured in the September 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art  September 2017 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

Depicting animals is one of the longest-held traditions in the art world, and the Society of Animal Artists strives to preserve that practice in its purest form. This year the organization hosts its 57th Annual Exhibition at the Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum. The show opens on Saturday, September 2, and presents nearly 135 pieces depicting both domestic and wild animals. The exhibition remains on display through October, with an artists’ reception held on Friday, October 6. Up to 80 of the 134 artists featured in the show are expected to attend the reception. Artists also conduct demonstrations on Saturdays throughout the exhibition’s run
at the museum.

The show was juried from more than 500 entries from artists across the United States, as well as Canada, India, Sweden, South Africa, the Netherlands, and Australia. There are very few restrictions on what subject matter can be entered for the competition, as long as the animal is a prominent part of the piece, says Reneé Bemis, president of the society. The work featured in the show includes nearly 100 paintings in oil, pastel, acrylic, and watercolor, as well as 35 sculptures in stone, bronze, paper, and wire. Participating artists include Pokey Park, Sandy Graves, Robbie Fitzpatrick, James Fiorentino, Mick Doellinger, Sue deLearie Adair, and Bryce Pettit.

After a panel juries the entries based on anatomy and context, the final pieces are then judged for awards by respected artists. “These judges are from the world of art but are not necessarily animal artists,” Bemis says. “We want them to come in and jury the artwork as art, not just animal art.” Eight awards for excellence, as well as several more specific recognitions, are presented on Saturday, October 7, during a banquet and awards reception.

The exhibition remains on view at the Blauvelt until October 29. “They have hosted for us many times in the past and are the longest major supporter of the society,” Bemis says. After its run in New Jersey, the show is whittled down to 60 works that travel to art and science museums across the country through August 2018. —Mackenzie McCreary

contact information
201.261.0012
www.blauveltartmuseum.com

This story was featured in the September 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art  September 2017 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

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