The 24th Annual Birds in Art at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum

Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum

Wausau, WI

(715) 845-7010

The 24th Annual "Birds in Art" at the Woodson

With wings aflutter, Birds in Art arrives for its annual autumn celebration at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. The 24th edition of this esteemed exhibition opened September 11, 1999 offering both visual and ornithological delights for art-lovers and bird-lovers and continues through November 7, 1999.

A time-honored focal point of Birds in Art is the work of a designated Master Wildlife Artist. Honored this year will be Anne Senechal Faust, a serigrapher who resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Faust, the first printmaker - and the first woman - to be named a Master Artist by the Woodson Art Museum, will be represented with 12 graphics, dating from 1977 to 1999, that demonstrate her masterful handling of shapes and colors that range from bold to subtle.

Images from left to right: Anne Senechal Faust, Banana Split, 1989, Serigraph on Strathmore Paper; Anne Senechal Faust, Showdown at Dawn, 1989, Greater prairie chicken; Anne Senechal Faust, Marsh Song, 1990, Least Bittern; Anne Senechal Faust, 1999 Master Wildlife Artist.

Birds in Art once again brings together, in the spirit of avian bonhomie, works by an international roster of artists who find endless inspiration in the graceful shapes, iridescent colors, and varying habitats of birds the world over. The exhibition comprises 115 paintings, works on paper, and sculptures by 104 artists who hail from Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Japan, The Netherlands, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, and the United States. (left: Sueellen Ross, Eye of the Beholder)

The international scope of Birds in Art is seen not only in the roll call of artists but also in the globe-spanning locales of their work. For example, Robert Bateman takes you to a sacred grove in Bali filled with a variety of egrets, while Richard Sloan combines two of his favorite subjects - scarlet macaws and Mayan ruins.

Birds and scenery from Australia, Africa, and Asia can be found in great numbers, ranging from the pandani groves of Tasmania to Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater. Works by Europeans cover the Swedish sea coast, Scottish highlands, and English countryside. Not to be outdone, the familiar birds of our North American lakes, fields, and forests - and even our city streets - hold their own against the foreign competition. (left: Karl Taylor, Prop; right: John Buxton, Out n' About)

Of the 526 artists who entered 919 artworks for jury consideration, 91 had works selected for the 1999 exhibition. Among this group, 18 are newcomers to Birds in Art. The juried artists will be joined by Faust and 12 previous Master Wildlife Artists - all of whom bring a broad range of artistic styles to their interpretations of Earth's feathered inhabitants. Every work in the exhibition, as well as a statement by each artist, is included in a 124-page full-color catalogue. A red-breasted toucan by Anne Faust is featured on the Birds in Art poster.

Read more on the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.in Resource Library Magazine

Search for more articles and essays on American art in Resource Library. See America's Distinguished Artists for biographical information on historic artists.

This page was originally published in 1999 in Resource Library Magazine. Please see Resource Library's Overview section for more information.