Posts Tagged ‘Art’

Spain has Picasso. France has Monet. The Houston Zoo has Cheyenne

Posted by in Endangered Species,orangutan,Uncategorized,What You Can Do

Cheyenne's Electric Passion, 2008

Cheyenne's Electric Passion, 2008

Artists come in all shapes and sizes, all ages and skill levels, and now – in all species. Cheyenne, a 36-year-old orangutan, is our local art scholar. She is known for having a multi-faceted personality, which is reflected in the wide-range of art she has produced.

Whether she is being silly, serious, or serene, Cheyenne’s art is widely considered to be the most beautiful and impressive at the Zoo. So much so that one of her paintings was once featured on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Cheyenne’s limited edition artwork will be part of our next Pongos Helping Pongos Art Event and Auction to raise funds for Orangutan and Elephant conservation programs in Borneo. Visit Cheyenne’s webpage at https://www.houstonzoo.org/meet-cheyenne/

Art of Conservation

Posted by in Africa,Featured,Gorilla

I attended an evening event last week in support of Art of Conservation (AoC). Hosted by Maverick Images, the Gallery of Michael Loyd Young  in Missouri City, TX, I was truly fascinated by what one persons inspiration can accomplish.

Art of Conservation, Inc. works in poor rural communities surrounding Parc National des Volcans (PNV) in Rwanda, teaching schoolchildren about the importance of maintaining a healthy environment for both people and animals and instilling them with an understanding and respect for themselves, their peers, and the natural world. AoC is led by Julie Ghrist and her team, Valerie Akuredusenge, Eric Mutabazi, Innocent Uwizeye and Fahad Ndangiza.

aoc_logoThe idea is the brainchild of Julie Ghrist who puts all her time and effort into establishing a truly exceptional program which addresses the health and education of the communities surrounding the Virunga Mountains in Rwanda, home to approximaltey half of the 700+ Mountain Gorillas remaining in the world.

Take a few minutes to view the programs website and the children’s artwork at http://www.art-of-conservation.com/ and Julie’s blog at http://artforgorillas.wildlifedirect.org/