Blogs

Vancouver, BC., CANADA - June 12, 2017 - Artists for Conservation (AFC) is pleased to announce a new partnership and special exhibit tour to mainland China this summer. Following a tour in North America, AFC's international exhibit will be exhibited at the Lanwan Art Museum at Lanwan Eco Art Park - a 50-acre ecological park, monumental sculpture garden, art village and public gallery, located in one of China's most beautiful and important coastal cities - Qingdao City.

AFC Signature Member, Jonathan Truss is deeply concerned about the plight of elephants. Elephants figure in many of Jonathan's paintings, but in his latest, he has attempted a world first - to paint a full-bodied "Big Tusker" elephant life size on canvas! He recently completed the painting, titled 'Tusker's Last Stand' and is using it to raise funds and awareness for elephant conservation.

Stephen Jesic, AFC Signature Member from Australia recently won First Place in the Animal Category at the 2016 ARC Art Renewal Center's Annual International ARC Salon Competition. Stephen's artwork "Jewel of the Amazon" - also featured in AFC's 2016 Virtual Exhibit - placed among the top of some 3,196 entries by over 1300 artists. The Animal Category in the 12th International ARC Salon represents 106 entries out of the 282 works entered into this category.

This September 29 through October 5, AFC completed its 6th annual Artists for Conservation Festival, celebrating nature's beauty and diversity, with a spectacular art exhibit and a host of inspiring art and environmental education programs. The event welcomed public of all ages with a variety of interests - fine art, environment and conservation.

AFC Signature Member, Anne London recently presented the Botswanan Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Tshekedi Khamato, and Botswanan President, Ian Khama two of her original paintings to recognize their courageous efforts to protect Botswana's wildlife for future generations. The artworks illustrate lions, as a representative of all of Africa's wildlife and their struggle to survive against the threats of Wildlife poaching and trophy hunting. The two original paintings are valued at $14,000 USD each.

We’re excited to announce AFC’s #15th Flag Expedition – Thar: The Great Indian Desert, featuring Nevada, USA artist Sharon Schafer. Sharon recently embarked on her 3-month expedition to India and can be followed via her blog. Sharon’s expedition represents an exploration of the flora, fauna and landscape of the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. At the invitation of Shri Jasnath Asan, a 500-year-old ashram, in Panchla Siddha, India,

In November, AFC Signature Mary Louise Holt announced the acquisition of her painting titled: The Village of Mariemont, 17th Century, by Chief Glenna Wallace of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oaklahoma. The painting will be on permanent exhibit in the Betty Jane Admussen Museum located in the E.S. Tribe's Cultural Preservation Building.

For this year's Festival, the AFC team once again had the pleasure to work with Canadian violist and composer, Thomas Beckman, following a beautiful live performance at the 2015 gala. This time AFC's Jeff Whiting worked with Beckman to choreograph a slideshow of all 201 original artworks juried into AFC's 2016 exhibit, which Beckman used to compose and record a unique 16 minute piece in high-definition sound. On September 29, 2016, guests at the AFC Festival opening evening at Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver, Beckman performed an abbreviated version of the special commissioned peice.

As a special feature of the 2016 Artists for Conservation Festival at Grouse Mountain, Vancouver, I am honoured to have the opportunity to allow the public to view my largest and most challenging work yet.

Niassa...one of the last great wilderness areas on earth. The most important protected area in Mozambique and critical to the global conservation of African wildlife, it covers more than 16,000 square miles. Despite its size and critical importance, it is little known internationally. AFC Artist Becci Crowe undertook the long journey to this remote area to raise awareness and support the work of Dr. Colleen Begg of the Niassa Lion/Carnivore Project as they face the day to day challenges of conservation on the front lines.