The Society of Animal Artists is an association of painters and sculptors working in the genre of animal art. Subject matter is open to the entire spectrum of the animal kingdom. Beginning in the 1950s, a group of nine artists began meeting to exchange ideas and to enjoy the camaraderie of their peers. In 1958, they mounted an exhibition titled Animals in Bronx Zoo, sponsored by the New York Zoological Society. The enthusiastic public response to their exhibition inspired Patricia Allen Bott and Guido Borghi to form the Society of Animal Artists. Today there are over 525 members residing in 25 countries. The Society is dedicated to the portrayal of our living heritage and its preservation through demonstrations, seminars, lectures, and exhibitions.