Rare Wildlife Revealed
Famed sports artist James Fiorentino returns to New York City with new traveling wildlife art exhibition at historic Salmagundi Club on April 4. His sports art long celebrated at Baseball Hall of Fame and other venues, Fiorentino’s wildlife watercolor exhibition arrives in NYC with free reception
New York City, NY – Nationally celebrated artist James Fiorentino has been celebrated for his iconic paintings of New York sports icons like Derek Jeter, Yogi Berra, and Odell Beckham, Jr. Now Mr. Fiorentino returns to New York City with a new muse for his prodigious talents – the vulnerable, oft-overlooked wildlife of the metropolitan area.
“Rare Wildlife Revealed: The James Fiorentino Traveling Art Exhibition” will make its New York City debut at the historic Salmagundi Club during the week of April 2-8, 2017. A free reception will be held on Tuesday, April 4 from 6-8 PM at the Salmagundi Art Club Patrons’ Gallery, located at 47 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10003.
Offered by the nonprofit Conserve Wildlife Foundation, the exhibit is part of a three-year traveling exhibition around the northeastern United States that kicked off this past fall.
“In this bustling metropolitan area, it is all too easy to overlook the wildlife that shares our cities and suburbs – yet New York City is blessed with an inspiring ‘Noah’s Ark’ of rare wildlife,” says Conserve Wildlife Foundation Executive Director and wildlife author David Wheeler. “From peregrine falcons and bald eagles to diamondback terrapins and sea horses, New York is home to extraordinary wildlife that has found a way to adapt to life in the city. We are so grateful that James Fiorentino has placed his artistic focus on these species. His evocative watercolor portraits bring the wildlife to life on the canvas.”
Mr. Fiorentino's watercolor paintings depict some of the New York metropolitan area’s most endangered and vulnerable species. The April 4 reception will feature a number of wildlife biologists joining the artist in engaging visitors to the show about the diverse wildlife species that call New York City and surrounding areas home – many of which are featured in Mr. Fiorentino’s realistic portraits.
- Little brown bats can be found in Central Park, while peregrine falcons and ospreys can be seen soaring over Jamaica Bay.
- Piping plovers migrate to Rockaway Beach, while harbor seals sunbathe on Orchard Beach.
- Humpback whales are spotted along the shoreline in Brooklyn and Queens, while box turtles can be found at Clay Pit Ponds on Staten Island.