Vanishing Circles: Portraits of Disappearing Wildlife of the Sonoran
Desert Region
“A stunning assemblage of paintings, a visual feast….”
John Schaefer, Ph.D. President Emeritus, University of Arizona
The 59 works of art in the Vanishing Circles exhibition portray vulnerable,
endangered, or extirpated species indigenous to the Sonoran Desert Region
(which includes the Gulf of California) and landscapes that offer vital
habitat for these and myriad other species. Although not
all-inclusive, the artworks illustrate a range of species and classes in the
animal and plant kingdoms that are literally losing ground—or water as the
case may be.
Habitats
The landscapes and the amphibian, reptile, fish,
bird, mammal, plant and invertebrate portraits in this exhibition artfully
present a plea for all the species and habitats at risk in the Sonoran
Desert Region. Impacts of our growing human population—including
habitat loss and degradation, the introduction of nonnative species, and
climate change—continue to increase environmental pressures, bringing these
creatures and habitats ever closer to extinction.
John N. Agnew, Waiting for Rain, acrylic, 20 x 30
William Hook, Line in the Sand—Algodones Dunes, acrylic, 24 x 24
Ken Stockton, Aravaipa Canyon, oil, 18 x 24
William Hook, Tropic of Cancer, acrylic, 24 x 24
Fish, Amphibians & Reptiles
It is easy to imagine that the loss of
little-known or noncharismatic species might not be critical, but each
species, no matter how lowly, plays a unique and in no way insignificant
role in its local circle of life. As more threads are broken, our
ecosystems are compromised and nature’s ability to recover is diminished,
jeopardizing not only our natural habitats but also the health and
well-being of our children, and their children.
Rachel Ivanyi, Fish of the Colorado River, watercolor, 17.5 x 37.5
Michael James Riddet, Sonoran Tiger Salamander, acrylic, 16.5 x
12.5
Carel P. Brest van Kempen, Desert Tortoise, acrylic, 21 x 30
Birds
Edward Aldrich, Bald Eagle, oil, 16 x 20
Richard Sloan, Western Burrowing Owls, acrylic, 15 x 25
Larry Fanning, Northern Aplomado Falcon, oil on linen, 28.5 x 22.5
Mammals
Larry Fanning, Mexican Gray Wolves, oil, 20 x 30
John Seerey-Lester, Sonora Majesty, oil on canvas, 24 x 36
Nicholas Wilson, Black-footed Ferret, gouache, 12 x 24
Nicholas Wilson, Mt. Graham Red Squirrel, gouache, 24 x 12
Priscilla Baldwin, Black-tailed Prairie Dog, graphite, 14 x 17
Plants
Constance Sayas, Arizona Claret Cup Cactus, watercolor, 12 x 24
Joan McGann, Pima Pineapple Cactus, colored pencil, 27 x 18
Rhonda Nass, Desert Night-blooming Cereus, acrylic, 10 x 8
The published catalogue, available for purchase
in the museum store, presents all of the images in the exhibition plus
others, essays on each of the animals and plants, biographies of all the
artists, and reference material.
Images in the exhibition are from the Vanishing Circles Collection of the
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Vanishing Circles: Portraits of
Disappearing Wildlife of the Sonoran Desert Region is a traveling
exhibition of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson.
