Traditionally, the Newington-Cropsey Foundation has exhibited artists that depict nature in a representational fashion. In addition to our main focus of Jasper Cropsey and the Hudson River School, we have exhibited wildlife artists such as Douglas Allen, landscape artists such as Van Bernhard, and seascape artists such as Peter Polites. Birds in Art exhibitions lend us a unique opportunity to exhibit the works of many contemporary artists depicting landscapes and wildlife. These exceptional artists from the United States and many other nations have all created beautiful depictions of birds and landscape in a variety of forms and media.

In part, our appreciation of these paintings originates with Jasper Cropsey’s own paintings and studies. In addition to the panoramic landscapes he is famous for, Cropsey did many botanical works as well as animal and bird studies and paintings. His many sketches and drawings reflect his efforts to perfect these forms and they serve to enlighten us to the difficulty of this subject matter. Like Cropsey, the talents and efforts of these artists have culminated in meaningful and truly beautiful paintings.

We are indebted to the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum of Wausau, Wisconsin for allowing the Foundation to be a part of their wonderful “Birds in Art” annual exhibition. Since 1976, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum has organized Birds in Art annually, seeking to present the very best contemporary artistic interpretations of birds and related subject matter. Approximately 100 works are selected by a jury review of slides. Birds in Art enables the Museum to meet its goals of presenting and collecting art of the natural world having birds as the primary or secondary focus.

Thankfully, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum has included NCF in the traveling version of Birds in Art since 2007. We have held the exhibition here almost every year since then, and hope to continue this tradition for many years to come.

Adelia Rasines, Executive Director
Newington-Cropsey Foundation
Spring, 2024