The James Museum’s inaugural exhibition, “Art and the Animal” has opened its doors. Organized in collaboration with The Society of Animal Artists (SAA), the special exhibition is the first since the museum opened in April. Located in the James Special Exhibitions gallery, entry is free with admission. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and until 8 p.m. on Tuesday evening. The new exhibition will also include the option for guests to purchase art from the show, which will close October 23.
The Society of Animal Artists, founded in 1960, is devoted to promoting excellence in the artistic portrayal of the creatures sharing our planet, and to the education of the public through art exhibitions, seminars, and demonstrations. The Society’s membership, past and present, represents a veritable who’s who of animal artists from around the world.
“We acknowledge and respect the role animals play in our daily lives,” says Bernice Chu. “They are the guardians of our ecosystem, they offer companionship and comfort, and help people everyday as service animals.”
Society artists continually pursue excellence and broaden appreciation for subjects of the natural world in fine art. The juried show is the 58th annual exhibition from the SAA. Members of the Society apply annually to be included in the exhibition, and the top 125 selected paintings and sculptures will be on display.
The James Museum features the private collection of Tom and Mary James, who live in St. Petersburg and opened the museum very purposefully in their hometown. This special exhibition will be the first held by the museum’s special exhibition gallery. The full museum offers 30,000 square feet of display space, highlighting over 500 hand-picked paintings, sculptures, and bronzes from the James’ private collection.
About the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art
The James Museum contains approximately 500 works of art selected from over 3,000 pieces acquired by Tom and Mary James over their 50 years of art collecting. The 88,000 square foot museum includes over 30,000 square feet of gallery space; a double height lobby with water feature; a Native American jewelry collection; 6,000 square feet of rental event space supporting both large events and break-out sessions; a commercial catering kitchen; and a museum shop and café. Planned programming includes special exhibitions in a variety of genres, artist talks and demonstrations, art classes, docent tours and children’s activities. Through exhibitions and education programs, The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art emphasizes the core values of art that moved Tom and Mary James: action, fortitude, heritage and integrity.
