Animals in Art

A new UW Art Museum exhibition of creatures great and small travels the state.

By Nicole M. Crawford

Does the University of Wyoming Art Museum really have animals in its collections? Yes, it does. It has cats, horses, dogs, snakes, bison and more, all represented through images by artists. The exhibition Creatures Great and Small: Animals from the UW Art Museum Collection—premiering at the Art Museum in the spring and traveling throughout the state during 2020–21—will feature prints in which animals are the focus.

Humans have long been fascinated with the natural world, especially with our fellow creatures. The earliest artistic representations in the historical record are prehistoric cave paintings that depict humans and animals during hunts Across cultures and time, they are featured in folktales, fables, legends and myths. Personified as kind, wise, wicked or clever, animals are used to teach valuable lessons about humanity while instilling beliefs about the world. Featuring selections from the permanent collection, this exhibition invites the viewer to reflect on these creatures as family, as subsistence and as untamed wilderness.

The Regional Touring Exhibition Program—of which this exhibition is a part—has been circulating exhibitions of original artwork throughout the state for more than 25 years. The exhibitions are available to libraries, schools, community centers, galleries and museums statewide, and except for the cost of one-way shipping, their use is free to those organizations. The artworks are packed into a custom-made crate that can be easily transported, unpacked and hung on the wall. Insurance, press releases, publicity photos and exhibition interpretation are provided by the Art Museum.

The Art Museum is currently reserving locations and dates for several exhibitions, including Creatures Great and Small.

For more information or to schedule an exhibition, call Art Museum Collections Manager Dara Lohnes-Davies at 307-766-662.