Earth Day is on Friday, April 22, and the Walt Disney Family Museum will honor the occasion by debuting Creative Conservation: The Art of Endangered Animals. The original exhibition showcases a collection of art created by endangered animal artists, as well as some watercolor wildlife paintings by human artist Andreas Deja. It will be open and free to the public through September 2022.
The exhibition partnered with five wildlife sanctuaries around the world to commission work from their animal artists. Participating organizations are Animals Asia, FOUR PAWS International, Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary, Wildlife ACT, and the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center by the Jane Goodall Institute.
Rehabilitated animals from these sanctuaries used nontoxic paint to make designs with their paws, claws, fur, and snouts – think abstract finger paintings by chimpanzees and colorful paw print art by leopards, tigers, and bears.
This exhibition will be presented in conjunction with Walt Disney’s The Jungle Book: Making A Masterpiece, which will open at the museum on June 23. It’s an exploration of the 1967 classic film, with over 300 artifacts on display including model sheets, story sketches, concept art, and more.
Be sure to see Creative Conservation: The Art of Endangered Animals at the Presidio’s Walt Disney Family Museum beginning April 22 and running through September 2022.
Featured image: Painting by Jubatus, 2021. Courtesy of Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary and The Walt Disney Family Museum