Arts
We inspire people, through the arts and sciences, to generate hope and create solutions for wild cats, nature, and humanity.
See our arts projects below…
127 White-Tailed Deer, 43 Javelinas, 29 Gray Foxes, 4 Coyotes, 3 Humans, 1-Month Interval, Patagonia Mountains, AZ, 2019
Alex (b. 1984) combines imaging technologies to highlight sociopolitical and environmental concerns throughout western North America.
…”As a photographer, I’ve always been interested in the different ways that humans enhance their vision in order to understand the natural world. As a graduate student at the University of Arizona, I had the opportunity to work as a citizen scientist with the Wildcat Research Team on a project exploring remote sensing and border migration.
…I believe that collaboration is key to understanding where art and science can overlap. My time working with the Wildcat Research Team was incredibly rewarding and fulfilling in that regard. Their dedication to this project is inspiring, and I’m very grateful for their openness and enthusiasm in partnering with me.”
(Alex Turner, MFA, University of AZ 2020)
Alex Turner, Artist
Inhale: This painting features tracks from: Lion, African Leopard, Cheetah, Hippopotamus, Spotted Hyena, Nile Crocodile, Cape Buffalo, Southern Giraffe, Chacma Baboon, African Civet, Black-backed Jackal, Banded Mongoose, Genet, Blue Wildebeest, Waterbuck, Kudu, Nyala, Impala, Bushpig, and Warthog
Cannon Winkler, Artist
Cannon (b. 1996) is a self-taught, visual artist working out of Arizona, USA. Using hand-collected animal tracks to paint distinct patterns, he invokes elements of “the wild” and our connection to it as humans. Cannon uses his art to raise funding and awareness for environmental conservation around the globe. His unique style of painting with wildlife tracks was pioneered in the South African Bushveld while he was “locked down” in a game reserve during the height of the 2020 Pandemic. In his paintings, he draws inspiration from nature and ancestral human artworks such as bushman rock art, aboriginal dream paintings, and eastern mandalas. Musing on our relationship with the natural world, he believes that fostering a sense of kinship with our last remaining wild places is essential if we are going to protect them in the future.
Walks of Life | Art from the Wild (walksoflifeart.com), BA, University of Arizona 2020
Jim and Lana Beissel, Wildlife Photographers and Outreach
After working as an EMT, Lana Beissel shifted her professional focus to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, and photography. Lana is also contributing fieldwork as a citizen scientist studying endangered species such as black-footed ferrets, desert tortoises, jaguars, and ocelots.
James Beissel is wildlife photographer and conservation filmmaker with a passion for sharing stories of wildlife and promoting the conservation of endangered species. A blend of traditional naturalist skills and modern technology has allowed him to photograph some of North America's rarest and most elusive mammals. He is a speaker and photography presenter on behalf of conservation causes across North America.