Society of Wildlife Artists

Society of Wildlife Artists
Name	Society of Wildlife Artists
Formation	1964
Type	Arts organization
Location	United Kingdom
Focus	Wildlife art
Leader title	President

Society of Wildlife Artists The Society of Wildlife Artists is a British artists' organization dedicated to the depiction of fauna and natural habitats. It promotes wildlife painting, sculpture and illustration through exhibitions, publications and outreach, maintaining links with conservation bodies and artistic institutions. The society has fostered ties with museums, galleries and academic centres across the United Kingdom and internationally.

History

Founded in 1964, the society emerged during a period of renewed public interest in natural history and visual arts linked to institutions such as the Natural History Museum, London, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Royal Academy of Arts and Zoological Society of London. Early founders and supporters included artists and naturalists connected with British Museum, Kew Gardens, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, National Gallery, and conservationists active at The Wildlife Trusts and World Wildlife Fund. Over subsequent decades the society staged annual exhibitions in venues associated with Mall Galleries, Royal Geographical Society, Society of Antiquaries of London and regional hubs such as Scottish National Gallery and National Museum Cardiff. Collaborative projects linked the society with academic programmes at University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh and with field studies connected to Royal Society initiatives and campaigns by Conservation International.

Membership and Organization

Membership categories reflect professional artists, illustrators and affiliated supporters drawn from networks including alumni of Royal College of Art, Slade School of Fine Art, Glasgow School of Art, Goldsmiths, University of London and graduates of art departments at University of the Arts London. Governance is structured with a council and elected officers who liaise with patrons and partners such as the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh patronages historically connected to wildlife art, cultural patrons associated with Royal Society of Portrait Painters, and institutional backers like British Council and regional arts councils. The society coordinates with galleries such as Tate Britain, National Portrait Gallery, Ashmolean Museum and trusts including the Arts Council England for programme support and residencies.

Activities and Exhibitions

The society organizes annual and themed exhibitions at venues including the Mall Galleries, touring shows to institutions like Manchester Art Gallery, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Royal Albert Hall for charity events, and international exchanges with organisations such as Smithsonian Institution, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle and Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Exhibitions frequently feature works inspired by fieldwork undertaken in partnership with bodies such as RSPB, BirdLife International, Fauna & Flora International and practical projects at sites like Orangutan Conservation Project, Galápagos Islands expeditions associated with Charles Darwin Foundation, and Arctic landscapes referenced in collaborations with Scott Polar Research Institute. Special exhibitions have commemorated anniversaries tied to figures and events including David Attenborough, Sir Peter Scott, Julian Huxley and expeditions such as the Scott Expedition and Lewis and Clark Expedition themes in thematic displays.

Publications and Education

The society issues catalogues and illustrated monographs of members' work distributed to institutions such as British Library, National Library of Scotland and specialist libraries at Natural History Museum, London. Educational outreach includes workshops and lectures hosted with partners like Royal Society for the Protection of Birds education teams, university continuing education programmes at University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education, and collaborations with field-study providers connected to Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. Publications have profiled artists who worked alongside conservation projects run by World Wide Fund for Nature, International Union for Conservation of Nature, and historical figures represented in art monographs such as John James Audubon, Alfred Newton and Thomas Bewick.

Notable Members and Artists

Over the years the society has included artists, illustrators and sculptors whose careers overlap with institutions and events like Royal Academy of Arts summer exhibitions, Turner Prize nominees, and contributors to natural history publications linked to Encyclopaedia Britannica. Notable names associated through membership, exhibiting or influence include practitioners who exhibited at Royal Society of British Artists and collaborated with conservationists active in RSPB and WWF-UK, as well as internationally recognised wildlife artists whose work is held by collections at Victoria and Albert Museum, The Fitzwilliam Museum, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and international museums such as Metropolitan Museum of Art and Musée d'Orsay.

Collections and Legacy

Works by society members are held in public and private collections across the UK and abroad, including acquisitions by Natural History Museum, London, National Gallery of Scotland, Manchester Art Gallery and regional museums such as Norfolk Museums Service, Hampshire Cultural Trust and Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. The society’s legacy is evident in influence on conservation awareness tied to campaigns run by RSPB, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, BirdLife International and the preservation ethos promoted through national trusts like National Trust. Archival material and catalogues are preserved in institutional archives at organisations such as British Library and university special collections at University of Edinburgh and University of Manchester.

Category:Art societies in the United Kingdom Category:Wildlife art