African Menagerie

On January 20, 2018 The Hiram Blauvelt Musuem will open its doors to a new exhibit, “AFRICAN MENAGERIE” by Brian Jarvi. This travelling exhibition consists of a thrity-two foot wide, free standing, segmented centerpiece arc; plus sixty-five research sketches and large-format, mixed media preparatory studies, portraying a wide array of African wildlife.

“AFRICAN MENAGERIE” addresses an extinction crisis that confronts Africa’s animal kingdom today. Unlike extinctions going back to the age of dinosaurs, the current episode is the only one that has occurred during the tenure of Homo sapiens. The spiraling loss of biological diversity, prominent ecologists say, stands to erase many of the Earth’s iconic megafauna and other smaller animals that imbue our quality of life with wild richness. “The Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum is proud to be a part of this presitigious tour”. – James Bellis, Board President

About the Artist

Brian Jarvi’s career has spanned more than a quarter century. In 1989, his career took a pivotal turn following a month long safari to Kenya and Tanzania. Interest, transformed into passion for the flora, fauna, land, and people of Africa, has beckoned him back twelve times since. Consequently subject matter from The Dark Continent has come to dominate his work. The universal appeal of the great, iconic species he paints has created a broad international audience for his work, and he is now considered one of the World’s premiere painters of African wildlife. Brian Jarvi has received numerous honors and awards in that time, including the prestigious Award of Excellence from the Society of Animal Artists, and twice the Artist of the Year award from Safari Club International.