Southeastern Wildlife Exhibition
Charleston, SC
The creation of wildlife art is rooted in passion—passion for animal life, conservation, education and an all-encompassing appreciation for the beauty and sheer existence of flora and fauna on our planet. For many talented artists, wildlife subject matter is their primary focus with each capturing the animal aesthetic in their own unique ways. The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition was established in 1982, with the first exposition held in February 1983. Since its inception, SEWE has grown into one of the largest and longest running events of its kind, bringing in more than 40,000 attendees from across the country each year, as well as hundreds of nature and wildlife artists, experts, collectors and exhibitors.
Now in its 37th year, the three-day event runs from February 15 to 17 in various locations throughout Charleston, South Carolina. New to SEWE this year is an opening night kick-off party, which will be held on Wednesday, February 13, at the Gibbes Museum of Art and requires ticket purchase.
“The weekend of SEWE is the product of an intricately woven relationship with the top-tier wildlife artists, ardent collectors and a dedicated team,” says SEWE art curator Natalie Henderson. In addition to the artwork of SEWE veterans, the event will showcase 21 new artists across a wide range of mediums. Sculpture is a strong focus for the 2019 exposition, she adds, with two guests sculptors featured, Sandy Scott and Walter Matia, in addition to 20 others working in bronze, wood and even handcarved feathers.
This year’s Featured Artist is Lou Pasqua and his acrylic, Little Havoc, is the official SEWE 2019 poster. “Lou Pasqua’s style and intimate knowledge of sporting dogs is unmatched, and his work will stop any sportsman in their tracks,” says Henderson.
Describing his piece, which depicts a spaniel gleefully bounding into a flock of quail, Pasqua says, “I wanted to create an exciting painting relevant to the Charleston area. The Boykin Spaniel is South Carolina’s state dog, so for this painter of sporting dogs, featuring the little brown dog was the obvious choice. Whether flushing or retrieving, this versatile canine presents a wide range of action-packed painting opportunities. Little Havoc gives the viewer a front row seat to the thrill of the Boykin rushing in to flush a covey of quail.” Pasqua’s Little Havoc will be available at auction during the VIP Signature Gala and Sale on February 14.
“Last year was my first experience at SEWE and I loved the show. As an artist I enjoy the opportunity to escape my own studio and meet with other artists and share ideas, inspirations and techniques,” says Jackson
Hole, Wyoming-based artist Shannon Troxler, whose oil Desert Wind was inspired by her love for Arabian horses.
In Tough Hunt, an oil by Jim Bortz, a coyote paves its way through a thick mound of snow, pausing to look almost directly at the viewer. “I admire the determination and adaptability of coyotes,” says Bortz. “Their winter coats are strikingly beautiful and allow them to shrug off even the most brutal conditions. This piece tells a story of beauty, struggle and persistence.”
Utah-based Western and wildlife artist Nicholas Coleman is exhibiting for the first time at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition. He brings to the show an oil of a black bear scoping out her next meal, a painting inspired by Coleman’s early Boy Scout and hunting trips in the forests of northern Idaho and Utah. “In my pursuit of preserving the heritage of the American West, I feel the wildlife is what makes America and the American West so unique,” says Coleman. “Between the bison, wolves and every animal in between, the diverse wildlife really does make America and the animal world pretty amazing and there is never a shortage of subject matter.”
“Our home and host city, Charleston, is one of the most charming, historic and welcoming cities in the world,” says Henderson. “Charleston is perfect on its own, and during SEWE weekend we are able to decorate it with the most outstanding wildlife art available.”