Arts for the parks

A name given to exhibitions of the National Park Foundation, its promoters are a non-profit group formed in the 1980s with the stated goal to identify and promote artists "whose paintings best captured the 'essence' of the landscapes, wildlife, and history of the more than 300 units of our National Park System. The first exhibition was in 1987, and from that time until recently, Arts for the Parks exhibitions became annual events with a focus to promote landscape as subject matter in American art. However, in 2006, it was announced that the Arts for the Parks exhibition may be terminated because the owners announced that, although they would entertain an offer of buying, they wanted to retire. Also controversy had arisen because participating artists were required to sign documents that released them from copyright control of their entries. The 2006 Arts for the Parks winner, possibly the last one, was Maron Hylton for "One of the Fallen". Other participants include Michael B. Coleman, Ted Feeley, and Wilson Hurley. Sources: Peter Hassrick, "Drawn to Yellowstone"; Judy Archibald, 'Art Beat', "Wildlife Art", January/ February 2007, p. 93.