Press

ALBANY, NY) Focus on Nature X: Natural History Illustration opens April 17 at the New York State Museum, showcasing world-class, juried artwork by top illustrators from 13 countries.

This exhibition, open through September 7 in Photograph Gallery will feature 94 natural history illustrations, representing the work of 83 illustrators from the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, Italy, South Korea, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa , and Spain. The organisms represented are diverse, ranging from mammals that are endemic to the artists’ home country -- numbats from Australia, and the crystal orchid from a single remote mountain in China -- to the ancient Roman lemons from Italy, rediscovered by the illustrator.

A five-member jury of artists and scientists selected the pieces on exhibit, based on the illustration’s educational value and artistic quality. The exhibition’s goal is to demonstrate the important role illustration has in natural science research and education, to stimulate curiosity about the world, and bring clearly into focus images of nature that people might not otherwise be able to visualize. Purchase Award(s) amounting to $20,000 will be presented by the Museum. The winning work(s) will be added to the museum's collections.

“Natural history illustration has a story that parallels that of science,” said Patricia Kernan, exhibition curator and scientific illustrator at the Museum. “From the beginning, it has been an integral part of the research process, and the most efficient and effective means by which investigators communicate their research results. Today, illustrators have available the tools of developing technology, as well as the traditional media. The works in this exhibition are examples of how artists use these tools with ever wider and deeper levels of understanding and sophistication.”

Kernan said many of the illustrations are created for field guides, textbooks, science articles and presentations. Some of these are included in the exhibition. A color catalog of illustrations in the exhibition will be available and can be ordered by visiting http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/publications/.

There are several Museum programs planned in conjunction with the exhibition. “Focus on Nature X: Drawing Workshop” will be held Saturday, May 10 from 1 to 4 p.m. There is a $20 fee for Museum members and $25 fee for non-members. Pre-registration is required by May 5. “Life Drawing for Adults” will be held April 16, 23 and May 7, 14, 21 and 28. The fee per session is $10 for Museum members and $12 for non-members. Registration for either program can be made by calling (518) 473-7154 or emailing psteinba@mail.nysed.gov.

The Focus on Nature exhibition began in 1990 with 23 artists. It is held every two years and complements the biennial Northeast Natural History Conference on April 17-18 at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center, organized by the New York State Museum and the New York State Biodiversity Research Institute. The conference updates scientists, educators and students on research in the northeastern United States and Canada. More information on the conference can be found at .

The State Museum, a cultural program of the New York State Department of Education, was founded on a tradition of scientific inquiry. Started in 1836, the museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. The museum is located on Madison Avenue in Albany. Further information is available by calling 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at .

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EDITORS NOTE: Attached is a list of New York State artists whose works are represented in the exhibition. To set up an interview with the illustrator or to obtain a photo of the illustrator’s work contact Joanne Guilmette at (518) 474-8730.

FON X Local Artist Contacts

New York

Sue deLearie Adair

107 Fox Run Drive

Schenectady, NY 12303 USA

Francesca Anderson

51 Cranberry Street

Brooklyn, NY 11201 USA

Judith Aronow

1 Persimmon Lane

White Plains, NY 10605 USA

James Coe

168 Alcove Road

Hannacroix, NY 12087 USA

Carol Coogan

553 Delaware Avenue

Albany, NY 12209-1414 USA

Camille Doucet

236 B Durfee Hill Road

Ithaca, NY 14850 USA

Frances L. Fawcett

1800 Ellis Hollow Road

Ithaca, NY 14850 USA

Ingrid Finnan

2727 Palisade Avenue, Apt. 5J

Bronx, NY 10463-1020 USA

James Gurney

P.O. Box 693

Rhinebeck, NY 12572 USA

Gretchen Kai Halpert

1179 Martin Hill Road

Corning, NY 14830 USA

Lauretta Jones

P.O. Box 241

Purdys, NY 10578 USA

Susan Kuo Ho

6 Iris Lane

Chappaqua, NY 10514 USA

Margaret C. Nelson

124 1/2 Judd Falls Road

Ithaca, NY 14850 USA

607-257-7144

Deborah Simon

1736 Fillmore Street

Bronx, NY 10460 USA

Terry A. Smith

132 First Avenue

Mechanicville, NY 12118 USA

Jeannette van Raalte

2609 Avenue "S"

Brooklyn, NY 11229-2538 USA

David Russell Wheeler

88 Brightman Road

Mechanicville, NY 12118 USA