American Wildlife Art Lecture at the Brevard Art Museum
MELBOURNE, FL – Dr. David Wagner, a leading wildlife art author, curator and lecturer, will present a free slide lecture on American Wildlife Art on Sunday, February 13 at 2 p.m. in the Brevard Art Museum’s Harris Auditorium. Wagner’s expertise and overview of the history of American Wildlife Art will offer an overview of how the depiction of American wildlife has changed over the years.
Dr. David J. Wagner tells the story of American Wildlife art, shaped by four centuries of cultural events and aesthetic and ideological trends, from its beginnings in colonial times to the monumental works of the present day. In his insightful accounts of the artists, events, and trends at the heart of this popular and uniquely American art form, Wagner explains how the aesthetic idioms and imagery of American wildlife art have evolved, how its ecological ideologies have changed with changing circumstances and ideas about animals and their habitats, and how artists and entrepreneurs developed and influenced the market for wildlife art.
From early watercolor drawings, such as those by Mark Catesby, to John James Audubon’s classic masterpiece Birds of America, to modern masters of wildlife depiction including Robert Bateman, Bob Kuhn, and Kent Ullberg, Wagner’s story of the evolution of American Wildlife art will appeal to artists, collectors, conservationists, and to anyone who enjoys wildlife art or is discovering it for the first time.
Wagner received his PhD from the University of Minnesota and wrote his dissertation on American wildlife art while he was scholar-in-residence at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Otis, Oregon. With funding from the Robert S. and Grayce B. Kerr Foundation, Wagner expanded his research to develop the book American Wildlife Art.
“A gun or a trap are common tools of the hunt, but Dr. Wagner reminds us that the deployment of a paintbrush is a most interesting way to capture prey,” remarks Museum Executive Director Steven Maklansky. “The Brevard Art Museum is delighted to present such a distinguished scholar and entertaining lecturer.”
About the Brevard Art Museum
The Brevard Art Museum is a non-profit organization supported in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs; the Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts; Brevard County through the Brevard Cultural Alliance; the Brevard County Tourist Development Council; and by members of the Brevard Art Museum.
Visitor Information
Location: 1463 Highland Avenue in the Eau Gallie District of Melbourne.
(321) 242-0737
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m., and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m..
Admission: Adults $5; seniors $3; children and students with I.D. $2. Free for Museum members. Special rates and tours are available for groups of 8 or more, and can be scheduled by calling Tina at 242-0737 at least two weeks in advance.
