LeRoy Neiman

LeRoy Neiman

(1921-2012)

Most people probably don't think of LeRoy Neiman as a wildlife artist, and for good reason.  He was much more.  But he did in fact paint wildlife.  In 2003, LeRoy Neiman had an exhibition at The Wildlife Experience in Denver based on the book of the same title: LeRoy Neiman: On Safari.  The exhibit was comprised of nearly seventy artworks inspired by a trip the artist made to Kenya in 1994.  Many of the exhibited works, including a new eight-foot high masterpiece of a Maasai warrior painted especially for the exhibit, and a 19-foot wide canvas of “the big five” painted in the African bush, were by Neiman from his private collection.

 

The Big Five

LeRoy Neiman passed away on June 20.  He was 91. For decades, he was the most recognized artist in America.  Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Neiman used the GI Bill to enroll at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he subsequently served as a member of its faculty from 1950 to 1960.  In 1963, the same year he held his first one-man show at Hammer Gallery in New York City, Neiman established a studio there, and never left.  Robust, with a persona that matched his art, LeRoy Neiman created a large body of distinctive, memorable, and for many, provocative artworks, that matched his often outrageous persona.     

“For me, the most impressive thing about Neiman's art, even more than his splashy, signature-style paintings and range of subjects and themes, has always been his incredible talent as a draftsman.  I’ve never met an artist who could draw what he observed better. As a painter, Neiman had the rare ability to use his talent to express extraordinarily creative ideas, and in the process, convey the character of his subjects.”~David Wagner

David J. Wagner, Dave Liniger,chairman of the board, RE/MAX International and founder of The Wildlife Experience Museum in Denver and Neiman at the exhibition opening for "On Safari" in 2003. Photo by Lynn Quayle

Wildlife Art Journal Editor, Todd Wilkinson interviewed David Wagner about LeRoy Neiman the day after the artist's death.  The interview can be read in its entirety here on the Wildlife Art Journal website (Click Here)


(rc via dw)

Nature of the Beast

SAA Signature Artist John Banovich's ongoing exhibition at the Wildlife Experience

 

The Wildlife Experience Presents
Nature of the Beast
Works by John Banovich
May 22 – July 25, 2010

 
The Wildlife Experience adds to its summer exhibition line-up with Nature of the Beast: Works by John Banovich, an exclusive one-man show presented only at The Wildlife Experience. This exhibition consists solely of museum and private collection oil paintings by this internationally renowned artist.

"There is an ancient mystery in the eyes of the beast.
Looking deep within, we come face to face with ourselves.
For they are the windows to our past, and the prophecy of our future."

 

 
John Banovich is an internationally recognized artist best known for his depiction of exotic species from across the globe. With acrylics and oils, Banovich creates memorable scenes from the dramas that play themselves out daily in the natural world, just as they have for millions of years. This limited engagement, one-man exhibition, features 30 major paintings that are a tribute to the wildlife and natural places Banovich depicts so beautifully in his art.


As an award winning artist, Banovich hopes his art will inspire us to protect our wildlife and ensure its survival; his work perfectly complements the mission of The Wildlife Experience. He is on the board of the Society of Animal Artists, and the Board of Craighead Environmental Research Institute, a featured judge for The Artist's Magazine and is Master Artist - teaching workshops internationally. His life and work have been featured in countless international publications, including Africa Geographic, Wildlife Art, Big Sky Journal, Western Art & Architecture, the Artist's Magazine, and many others, as well as on various television programs aired on the Outdoor Channel, Entertainment Tonight, Versus and PBS.


A natural history and wildlife art museum, The Wildlife Experience is located at 10035 South Peoria St., Parker, CO., one mile east of I-25 at the intersection of Lincoln Ave. and S. Peoria. For admission prices, museum and Extreme Screen Theater hours and information on special exhibits, please call 720.488.3300 or visit thewildlifeexperience.org.


 
(rc)