ORANGE, Texas, June 9, 2008 - The fascinating work of artist and naturalist John James Audubon will be the topic of a special presentation by Sarah E. Boehme, Director of the Stark Museum of Art in Orange, Texas, on Thursday, June 26 at 6:30 p.m. John James Audubon: In the Wild will explore the artist's work in relation to the museum's current exhibition, Celebrate Shangri La, on view through Saturday, June 28. The talk is open to the public at no charge and will take place at the Education Center, 812 Green Avenue. A reception and book signing will follow at the Stark Museum of Art, 712 Green Avenue.
The slide presentation will focus on Audubon's last major expedition, when he traveled up the Missouri River to Fort Union to see animals in their natural habitat. Audubon made this journey to research his publication he was planning, The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, a series of illustrations depicting the country's four-legged mammals. The presentation will focus on these works as well as Audubon's more widely recognized illustrations in the double elephant folio of The Birds of America, both currently highlighted in the museum's Celebrate Shangri La exhibition.
"Audubon based his masterful depictions of birds and animals on his experiences studying them in nature," said Boehme. "To portray the mammals of North America he needed to travel to the Far West to see first hand the large mammals such as buffalo, elk and antelope. At age 58 he undertook the journey that would be his last great adventure. I will talk both about the triumphs of his expedition and the failures he experienced. We will also see how the travels of his son John Woodhouse Audubon contributed to the project."
Audubon's mammal illustrations are the topic of Boehme's book Audubon in the West: The Last Expedition: Mammals of North America, which she will sign at the Stark Museum of Art following the presentation. Copies of the book are available for purchase in the Museum Store.
The exhibition Celebrate Shangri La includes Audubon lithographs of mammals such as the Red Texan Wolf and the Texan Skunk. Also on view are bound volumes from both the imperial folio edition and the octavo edition of The Quadrupeds, as well an example of the octavo edition in the original paper cover. Additional works by other artists are also on view in the exhibition to highlight the flora and fauna that can be found in Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange, Texas.
Located at 712 Green Avenue in Orange, Texas, the Stark Museum of Art is open to the public at no charge Tuesday through Saturday. Hours are from 10 AM - 5 PM. Group tours are available by appointment. For more information call 409.886.ARTS (2787) or visit www.starkmuseum.org.
About the Stark Museum of Art
The Stark Museum of Art focuses on the stunning land, the dramatic people and the diverse wildlife of the American West. Paintings, sculpture and prints interpret the West from nineteenth century frontier artists to the twentieth century artistic colonies in New Mexico. Artists include John James Audubon, Frederic Remington, and Charles Marion Russell.
The Museum also features a significant collection of American Indian objects, including baskets, pottery, clothing and weavings. Other permanent collections in the Museum include the complete porcelain American Bird Series by Dorothy Doughty and the only complete series of The United States in Crystal, a collection of crystal urns produced by Steuben Glass to depict the 50 states and the Union.
Located at 712 Green Avenue in Orange, Texas, the Stark Museum of Art is owned and operated by the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation. Group tours are available by appointment. Admission is free. For more information call 409.886.ARTS (2787) or visit www.starkmuseum.org.
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712 Green Avenue
Orange, Texas 77630-5721
Phone: 409.886.ARTS (2787)
www.starkmuseum.org
