Art and education come together at Detroit Zoo

Exhibit sheds new light on rainforests

By Christa Buchanan
C & G Staff Writer

The works of 11 noted wildlife artists came together for the sixth time May 8 when the “Art of the Rainforest” exhibit debuted at the Detroit Zoo, giving visitors a new understanding of the rainforests and its inhabitants.

Designed to promote awareness and conservancy of the diversity of life found in the rainforests, “Art of the Rainforest” gives visitors a peek into the real-life habitats and lives of the creatures that live in the world’s  richest ecosystem.

The world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon, which provides 20 percent of the world’s breathable air, about 30 percent of the world’s fresh water and more than one-third of all living species, is well-represented in the exhibit, as many of the artists have firsthand experience traveling and studying throughout tropical and moderate rainforests.

“This exhibit uses the arts as a way for people to interpret the animals and the places they live. The artist gives an experience, and the viewers can draw their own conclusions. … Everybody has their own reaction, mental process,” said Mark Packer, curator of education, art and exhibits at the Detroit Zoo.

Each of the more than 65 pieces in “Rainforest,” which are as varied and unique as the creatures and habitats depicted — some represent the harmonious interaction of the creatures within their habitats, while others depict the sometimes brutal, yet beautiful, world in which these creatures live  — help spread social awareness.

“Existence at a Price,” a watercolor by Mary Helsaple of Colorado, depicts a pair of scarlet macaws with an increasing price tag on their heads.

“To me, it also reveals the relationship between seeing into the life of the macaws and the social element and commentary … (as) the value of animals goes up,” said Packer, who added that the exhibit’s goal is to promote social awareness, while reaffirming the uniqueness of the creatures.

Although the subject matter is different from traditional art, said Packer, a lot of the artists have firsthand experience with the animals they paint, which, along with traditional painting techniques, makes the art “more lifelike — it fools the eye.”

“I’m not just painting any Komodo dragons, but the Komodos that I come in contact with,” Mark A. Kelso of Indiana said of his acrylic Komodo dragon painting, “Echoes of the Ancient-Varanus Komodoensis,” which, due to the incredible detail, took about six months to complete.

Husband and wife artists Wes and Rachelle Siegrist of Tennessee also have a knack for painstaking detail, as they paint their intricate watercolors in miniature. Drawing inspiration from the rainforest in which they live, the Great Smoky Mountains, and zoos, the Siegrists relish the opportunity to share their love of animals and nature through art.

“It helps people see where the animals come from. … It opens the eyes through artwork and shows the real habitat and behavior,” said Wes Siegrist of “Rainforest,” which he and Rachelle saw at its last stop in North Carolina.

The idea that all life is connected and must be preserved is prevalent throughout “Rainforest,” said Rachelle Siegrist, adding that she believes the zoo is the perfect place for kids to get exposure to all the creatures of the world.

“Everything is totally connected between all forms of life,” said California-based artist Gamani Ratnavira, who grew up in the rainforest of his native Sri Lanka, where he observed how “the mosses and lichens are identical to the fur color of the red pandas,” the subject of his “Red Panda with Dragonflies” oil painting.

“I try to take people to a location, to portray a window to nature and show the beauty of life in the rainforest. I want to make people aware of the environment, to bring the atmosphere into my art,” said Ratnavira, who is looking forward to seeing the exhibit in its entirety when it stops in Los Angeles next spring.

“Art of the Rainforest” is on exhibit at the Exhibit Gallery of the Ford Education Center at the Detroit Zoo until Sept. 8 and is open daily during regular zoo hours at no additional charge. To complete the rainforest experience, visitors can become a Super- Tree in the zoo’s latest Simulator ride, HimalAmazon.  Also on display is a small exhibit of Peruvian handicrafts, which were gifts from students at a school in Peru that the zoo sponsors as part of its Peru Rainforest program.  For more information, call (248) 541-5717 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.