FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 27, 2021
Project Coyote Collaborates with Artists to Protect Michigan’s Wolves
Art Exhibit “The Spirit of the Hunt” Highlights the Plight of Wildlife, Inspiring Appreciation and Action
Project Coyote and the Michigan Technological University’s (MTU) College of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences are proud to present the multimedia art exhibition, The Spirit of the Hunt, featuring the creative talents of sculptors, photographers, poets, and painters including Project Coyote’s Artists for Wild Nature Monte Deignan and Sarah Killingsworth, renown photographer Jim Brandenburg, and local Michigan artists Joyce Koskenmaki and Ladislav Hanka. This exhibit will be open to the public from August 28th through October 17th, 2021 on the MTU campus in Houghton, MI. There will be a reception with facilitated discussions starting at 4:30 pm on Friday, September 3rd.
All pieces were generously donated by artists with the goal of inspiring coexistence between humans, wolves, and coyotes in the Great Lakes region. The exhibition of their works is curated by Catherine Plank, a graduate student at the University of Michigan studying Ecosystem Science and Management. She arranged the artwork to highlight the beauty and value of these native predators.
“I was inspired to make my sculpture and curate this exhibit in an effort to help wolves and wildlife through creativity, in the face of so much destruction,” said Catherine Plank. “Wolves desperately need our help and this exhibit is one way to inspire and engage visitors into taking action that will make our wild world a better place for everyone to live.”
The opening event on September 3rd will feature a facilitated discussion with Project Coyote Science Advisor Dr. John Vucetich (MTU) on threats to wolves from humans and the value of this keystone species. This discussion and the overall timing of this art exhibit was chosen to raise awareness and consideration of current proposed legislation regarding wolf policies in Michigan and beyond. Nationally, wolves were removed from Endangered Species Act protections earlier this year and now face danger across their range as states from Wisconsin to Idaho have started to slaughter wolves by all forms of cruelty, including hunting with hounds, snowmobiles, traps, snares and bait.
In Michigan, multiple bills have recently been introduced that could impact the longevity of the wolf population by altering the decision-making body tasked with setting policy, the Wolf Management Advisory Council. House Bills 5078 and 5079 amend the requirements for council members to include more representation of conservation organizations. The proposed changes in these two bills could significantly improve the management decisions by diversifying the interests considered in Michigan wolf conservation.
“With HB 5078 and 5079 and this lovely art exhibit, we are hopeful that Michigan could be a bright spot for wolves among all the darkness,” said Michelle Lute, PhD in Michigan wolf conservation and National Carnivore Conservation Manager for Project Coyote. “We must pair hope with creative action to stop the war on wildlife and protect wolves and their contributions to healthy, thriving ecosystems in the Great Lakes and everywhere.”
All artworks from the exhibit will later be sold, and the proceeds will be donated to Project Coyote, a nonprofit organization working to promote carnivore conservation nationwide through education, science, and advocacy and backed by a coalition of scientists, conservationists, educators, ranchers, and citizen leaders. The event itself is free and open to the public during hours 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What: The Spirit of the Hunt
Where: Hesterberg Hall in the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science building at Michigan Technological University. 566-950 Macinnes Drive, Houghton, MI 49931. Park in Lot 18.
When: Exhibit runs August 28 – October 17, 2021, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a free reception Friday, September 3 at 4:30 pm.
Who: Featuring art from Project Coyote’s Artists for Wild Nature Monte Deignan, Sarah Killingsworth, Catherine Plank, Marianne Boruch, Russell Brakefield, Jim Brandenburg, Cindy Crosby, Ned Gannon, Ladislav Hanka, Russell Hart, and Joyce Koskenmaki
Main photo by Sarah Killingsworth.
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