Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Dinotopia Exhibition in Wisconsin

The biggest-ever exhibition of original Dinotopia artwork will open later this month at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. 

The exhibition features 61 original oil paintings that I created for the Dinotopia books. It will be on view from January 28-April 8, 2012.

The show includes paintings from three Dinotopia books, Dinotopia: A Land Apart From Time (1992), Dinotopia: The World Beneath (1995), and Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara (2007), along with a window into my creative process by means of preliminary sketches, plein air paintings, and handmade reference maquettes.

I'm also excited to be able to share two of the most important paintings in the Dinotopia series, Dinosaur Parade and Dinosaur Boulevard, which have not been publicly exhibited in more than 15 years.

There’s a full calendar of events and hands-on activities surrounding the show. February 9 and 10 will be DinoSNOWpia, as Team USA Snow Sculptors Mike Martino, Tom Queoff, and Mike Sponholtz will sculpt prehistoric creatures from snow and ice. (Below: a time lapse video showing them at work)

(Direct link to video) On February 22, there will be a special event inspired by journals and storytelling intended for individuals suffering from memory loss, assisted by their care partners. The following day is “Art Time for Tots,” where toddlers and their parents can tour the galleries and make some art right afterward.

On February 25, an educator from the Northwoods Wildlife Center will use live birds, fossils, and dinosaur fossil replicas to demonstrate the similarities between birds and dinosaurs.

I’ll be in attendance in early March. On Thursday, March 1 at 5:30, I’ll give a digital slide lecture that goes behind the scenes into the making of Dinotopia. On Saturday, March 3, I’ll offer a workshop for educators exploring how such a fantasy concept can integrate science, art, and writing. I’ll also be doing booksignings and gallery walk-throughs.

I look forward to meeting you if you can make it. And if you live far away, please put the suggestion to your local art museum or natural history museum to consider hosting a Dinotopia exhibition in the future.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you more about that frame on the “Dinosaur Parade” painting.
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They're at 700 North 12th St., Wausau, WI 54403. 715.845.7010.

5 comments:

Lucas Durham said...

I missed the previous Dinotopia gallery held in Wisconsin, so needless to say, I'm super excited to see this exhibit. Worth every minute of the 5 hour drive!

Daroo said...

Is that the actual frame for the painting or a digital comp?

James Gurney said...

Lucas, hope to see you there.

Daroo, yes, it's the real frame, custom made for the painting. I'll do a post on that tomorrow.

Levi Gilbert said...

Looks like I'll be driving up from Madison! I look forward to seeing your work in person. Hopefully I can make it to the lecture as well.

daylily fan said...
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