African Menagerie – The Inquisition

In a spring family-oriented exhibit, CMA will present the “panoramic adventure” African Menagerie. This touring exhibit will let audiences discover and explore the plight of African wildlife species. Featured is celebrated American artist Brian Jarvi, whose works have won numerous awards from national and international animal conservation agencies, including the Safari Club’s International Artist of the Year. In both museums and galleries, he is considered one of the world’s premier painters of wildlife. Central to this exhibit are seven, visually interlocking panels, more than 36 ft. in length, including a ten-foot by five-foot centerpiece; plus 100 related research sketches and mixed media studies. 

The works help to call attention to Earth’s wildlife extinction crisis. From the jungles around the equator where mountain gorillas and chimpanzees barely endure, southward to the Serengeti Plain, Kalahari Desert, and the grasslands of Zimbabwe, the animals whose very iconic presence has become symbols of wildness to all of us are dwindling at alarming rates. African Menagerie uses the power of art to address this global concern.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website