For internationally acclaimed wildlife artist John Banovich, it’s about saving the planet one portrait at a time.
It’s a good bet that wherever you find wildlife painter John Banovich, there will be a captivating view nearby. The globe-trotting artist is a study of a man in motion, forever combining his love of all things wild with an obsession to preserve natural habitats and the creatures that inhabit them. Meet him and hear the passion in his voice as he talks about Siberian tigers or mountain gorillas and you quickly tweak that his art—brilliant though it may be—is a means to an end. Banovich is forever in a race to save species and habitats whose days on Earth are numbered without intervention. He uses a paintbrush the way Ansel Adams did a camera, empowering the visual to transform the spiritual—ultimately inspiring people to make a difference.
LINK TO VIEW ARTICLE
Lions and tigers, and um … panthers? No, it's not the phrase many of us learned from the Wizard of Oz, but it accurately describes the Witte Museum’s new "King of Beasts" exhibit.
Featuring more than 30 works by John Banovich — an oil painter internationally renowned for dramatic portrayals of wildlife — the show explores big cats, their prehistoric ancestors and the connections they have with each other.
The works, full of sharp-toothed predators, will help visitors better understand humans’ fascinations with these attractive yet fearsome beasts through Banovich's 25 years of research. Spanning from the lions of Africa to the mountain lions of Texas, the exhibit also will draw attention to the importance of big cat conservation and its importance to the human species.
$10-$14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday and Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Witte Museum, 3801 Broadway St., (210) 357-1900, wittemuseum.org.
Weather Minds Classroom: Field Trip to The Witte Museum
On this episode of Cloudy with a Chance of Learning we head out to The Witte Museum in San Antonio to learn more about one of their exhibits.
King of Beasts Opens at the Witte Museum
COVID-19 UPDATE: The public opening has been postponed to April 19, 2020. Please follow our website for updates on this exhibition.
SAN ANTONIO, TX- Explore extraordinary African lions and majestic mountain lions of Texas this spring at the Witte Museum. Experience the power of lions through artwork by renowned artist John Banovich and see the connection between the big cats of today and their prehistoric ancestors.
John Banovich believes he was born to tell the lion’s story, from its ancient past to its troubling future. And in King of Beasts, a beautiful new book from Sporting Classics, he tells that story in a stunning portfolio of 134 paintings, many of which feature John’s remarkable insights and adventures with Africa’s most storied predator. On the pages that follow are some of his favorite paintings and what he wrote about them.
John Banovich on King of Beasts: A Study of the African Lion
Friday, November 15
Cash bar and book sales | 5 pm
Artist Talk | 6 pm
CLICK FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER
An internationally recognized artist who has studied lions for decades, John Banovich has created a body of work that is also an homage to these animals. King of Beasts features more than forty artworks that explore questions about mankind’s deep fear, love, and admiration for these creatures. The exhibition spans nearly twenty-five years of work and assembles his body of work focused on African Lions for the very first time. Join Banovich as he discusses his advocacy and love for these magnificent creatures.
Click to Purchase King of Beasts: A Study of the African Lion
Book signing at the Nevada Museum of Art, Reno Nevada-November 15, 2019 at 5pm
by Michele Corriel
A retrospective at the Nevada Museum of Art places John Banovich’s artwork in historical context.
John Banovich’s conservationist ideals, as fierce as the lions he portrays, roar with authenticity. His large paintings express a poignant love for places losing their hold on wilderness, and in turn, they bring to light the delicate balance of the natural world in danger of extinction. Because of this ideology, the Banovich Wildscapes Foundation funds endeavors in Africa to protect endangered areas.
PRE-RELEASE BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT
Release Date: October 2019
Following best seller and award-winning book “BEAST: THE COLLECTED WORKS OF JOHN BANOVICH” we are pleased to announce the pre-release of “KING OF BEASTS: A STUDY OF THE AFRICAN LION by John Banovich”. Featuring 208 large format pages, “King of Beasts” illustrates the dramatic artwork of John Banovich, all focused on depicting the extraordinary African Lion. An internationally recognized artist who has studied lions for decades, Banovich has selected a body of work that pays homage and explores questions about mankind’s deep fear, love, and admiration for these creatures.
KING OF BEASTS: Gallery Edition - $60.00
12” X 11” Signed, Hardcover with full-color dust jacket, featuring image of “In Their Prime II.”
KING OF BEASTS: Deluxe, Leather Bound Edition - $90
12” X 11” Signed and Numbered of 400
Click to Purchase King of Beast: A Study of the African Lion
Booksigning at the Nevada Museum of Art, Reno Nevada-November 15, 2019 at 5pm
NEVADA MUSEUM OF ART
Reno, Nevada
November 9, 2019-February 16, 2020
BOOK SIGNING & ARTIST TALK
Friday, November 15
Cash bar and book sales | 5 pm
Artist Talk | 6 pm
$12 General
$8 Members
$5 Student
CLICK TO REGISTER
THE WITTE MUSEUM
San Antonio, TX
April 4, 2020 through August 2020
Six key syndicate members implicated in a massive trafficking of poached rhino horns were arrested. The arrests were made by the Hawks supported by Counter Intelligence, Special Task Force, SAPS Forensic Science Service, SANParks, the Department of Environmental Affairs, SARS and Customs including the National Prosecuting Authority. The significant breakthrough follows an investigative - Project Broadbill - by the Wildlife Trafficking Section of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation which commenced in January last year. The project focused on the criminal supply chain of poached rhinos within the Kruger National Park, Kwazulu Natal, Gauteng and other private or state owned reserves The National Head of the DPCI Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya has lauded the collaborative action as a huge success in the fight against rhino poaching in the country. “The operation spells hope for rhinos and other endangered species and we are fully committed to eradicating poaching and trafficking.
ACE Award for Conservation Excellence Conservation Hero Update: Joel Berger
SCIENCE
The 'Bloody Business' of Wildlife Conservation
A veteran conservationist reckons with his career studying animals in the most extreme places on Earth.
SARAH ZHANG
SEP 2, 2018
ACE Award for Conservation Excellence Conservation Hero Update: Joel Berger
Book Review in Non-Fiction, Science
Extreme Conservation: Life at the Edges of the World=
By Joel Berger
University of Chicago Press
368 pp.
Reviewed by Emily Strelow
August 28, 2018
This observant and witty book asks difficult questions about our role in saving species living in extreme climates.
Wuhan Natural History Museum
Wuhan, China
Artist and conservationist John Banovich was the keynote speaker at the Behring Global Education Foundation Forum with the topic of “The Power of Art to Increase Awareness for Conservation.” Additionally Banovich and Banovich Wildscapes Foundation COO, Kimberly Fletcher participated in the Global Natural History Days program as international judges for the exhibition competition and the painting competition. This was the second year Banovich and Fletcher participated in the event.
Ullas Karanth - 2018 ACE Award for Conservation Excellence Hero
Overall, badly. Instead of the 25,000-50,000 that should be living in the wild, we're urged to "celebrate" a miserable 5000 with annoying frequency.
Today is Global Tiger Day—befittingly so because of the cat's immense popularity among people both in its Asian home and world-wide. It is a day to evaluate where we are headed in the strenuous effort to recover this icon of nature's diversity.
Ullas Karanth has spent a half-century working to protect India’s endangered tigers. In an interview with Yale e360, he argues that with smart planning and the cooperation of its rural residents, the country could support five times the number of tigers it has now.
Thanks to your generous support we managed to collar several cheetahs in the Maasai Mara to get a better insight into their ecology and the threats that they face. We recently used the data from the collars to determine which landscape features cheetahs prefer and avoid. Femke Broekhuis, PhD Scientific Associate Kenya Wildlife Trust, Nairobi Kenya
Eleanor Bonsor gets inside the head of the world-renowned wildlife artist and conservationist, John Banovich
Giraffe expert raises fears the animal faces extinction if conservation efforts don’t happen soon
Dr Julian Fennessy wants action taken urgently as the giraffe population has experienced a rapid overall decline of 40 per cent in the last three decades, and they are already extinct in seven countries.
By Emily Darling
On June 8th, we celebrate World Oceans Day and the many ways our societies are connected to the planet’s oceans. But we also recognize the mounting threats facing our planet’s oceans and the need for new partners to find new and enduring solutions for ocean conservation. One of those partners is Silicon Valley.
Marine Programs, Wildlife Conservation
Society, Bronx, New York
Abstract: A holistic basis for achieving ecosystem-based management is needed to counter the continuing degradation of coral reefs. The high variation in recovery rates of fish, corresponding to fisheries yields, and the ecological complexity of coral reefs have challenged efforts to estimate fisheries sustainability. Yet, estimating stable yields can be determined when biomass, recovery, changes in per area yields and ecological change are evaluated together.
Study to inform plans to protect coral reefs with the greatest chances of surviving the changing climate
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY
The authors of the study titled "Thermal energy and stress properties as the main drivers of regional distribution of coral species richness in the Indian Ocean" are: Mebrahtu Ateweberhan of the University of Warwick and WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society); Tim R. McClanahan of WCS; Joseph Maina of WCS and the University of Queensland; and Charles Sheppard of the University of Warwick.
Banovich Wildscapes Foundation and Southeastern Wildlife Exposition present
AWARD for CONSERVATION EXCELLENCE (ACE)
sponsored by Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, the Cabela Family Foundation & Bass Pro Shops
February 14, 2018, Gaillard Center, Charleston, SC
Banovich Wildscapes is pleased to announce that the scientific team of Dr. Nyawira Muthiga and Dr.Tim McClanahan have been awarded the $100,000 2018 Award for Conservation Excellence (ACE). Along with the other four finalists Dr. Joel Berger and Dr. Ullas Karanth, Dr. George Archibald and Dr. David Macdonald, Muthiga and McClanahan were selected from among over 40 applicants.
Dr. Nyawira Muthiga and Dr. Tim McClanahan presented with inaugural award.
The winners are founders of WCS’s coral reef programs and have pushed the frontiers of coral reef science.
At the kickoff of the 36th Southeastern Wildlife Exposition on Wednesday, a new award that is hoped to become “the Oscars for conservation” was given to a duo that have devoted three decades to coral reef conservation.
The 2018 ACE Award for Conservation Excellence is featured on NBC News with an interview with ACE Founder and artist John Banovich and ACE Keynote Speaker General Charles Moss Duke., Jr. Apollo 16, Astronaut.
"Had a serious fan girl moment. Met these 2 amazing gentlemen. Ret. Brigadier General Charles Moss Duke, Jr. Apollo 16 Astronaut. In 1972, he became the 10th and youngest person to walk on the MOON! I also met internationally renowned oil painter John Banovich Awesome! #SEWE2018" Octavia Mitchell
Search for world’s greatest conservation scientists: David Macdonald, founding Director of Oxford’s WildCRU named as global finalist for lifetime Award for Conservation Excellence.
Conservation Scientist David Macdonald Nominee for Prestigious Honour.
(NEW YORK- January 23, 2016) WCS is pleased to announce that four of its scientists, Dr. Joel Berger, Dr. Ullas Karanth, Dr. Nyawira Muthiga and Dr.Tim McClanahan have advanced as finalists for the 2018 Award for Conservation Excellence (ACE) (Drs. Muthiga and McClanahan have been nominated together as one finalist).
FOR INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR CONSERVATION EXCELLENCE
December 7, 2017 in Newsroom, Press Releases, Travels with George
BARABOO, Wis. – George Archibald, Ph.D., co-founder of the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wis., is one of five finalists for the inaugural Award for Conservation Excellence (ACE) presented by the Banovich Wildscapes Foundation and sponsored by Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, the Cabela Family Foundation, and Bass Pro Shops.
Marine Programs, Wildlife Conservation
Society, Bronx, NY, USA
Abstract: The status of fisheries requires establishing and evaluating benchmarks derived from unfished ecosystems. Habitats, environmental conditions, properties of the fish communities and management systems could potentially influence the variability surrounding benchmarks. Consequently, eighteen variables including habitat, number of species, life histories, thermal and productivity environments were tested for influences on reef fish biomass in 62 reefs within old high compliance closures along the east African coastline.
Banovich Wildscapes Foundation, a non-profit established by artist John Banovich, and the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition have teamed up to acknowledge exceptional contributions to wildlife and nature conservation with the inaugural Award for Conservation Excellence (ACE). The winner will be announced among five finalists at the ACE ceremony on February 14 in Charleston, just before the SEWE show which runs February 16–18.
Wildlife artist John Banovich and outdoor equipment retailers Cabelas/Bass Pro have created a new Award for Conservation Excellence “to recognize the extraordinary contributions made by the world’s leading conservationists and to become the most significant award in the conservation arena.” http://www.wildscapesfoundation.org/ace-award/about.
It will be awarded for the first time in Feb. 2018, with a first prize of $100,000. Four other finalists will receive $5,000 cash and a $5,000 Cabela’s gift certificate. A videographer will spend time in the field with all five finalists, producing a ten minute film of their work to be shown at the awards ceremony and in the media.
AFC Signature Member, John Banovich has established a new major award through the Banovich Wildscapes Foundation - the Award for Conservation Excellence (ACE). The purpose of the award is to recognize the exceptional contributions made by some of the world's leading conservationists and is intended to become the most significant award in the conservation arena. A call for nominations is now open through August 31, 2017. Nominations for the ACE award can be made here.
Hosted by Chris & Amy Dorsey
On Monday, March 13th we will explore man's relationship to nature and the ways in which man can co-exist with Big Things With Big Teeth in a world of shrinking habitat."
John Banovich is no stranger to the discerning wildlife art collector. His paintings have adorned the covers of multiple national magazines, the walls of prestigious museums, and the homes of some of the world’s most discriminating connoisseurs. However, Banovich is not a man driven by the possible fruits of success—greatness demands something much more personal than the praise of others or financial reward. It demands a passion for something beyond self, the courage to fail, the humility to learn, and the perseverance to see things through, especially when it is hard and, eventually, the understanding that while perfection may be unachievable, the desire to reach for it should not be subdued.
Millennium Alliance for Humanity and Biosphere (MAHB)-Stanford University Blog
John Banovich-Painting Animals and Protecting Wildscapes
John Banovich's commentary on conversation was selected by the Millennium Alliance for Humanity and Biosphere (MAHB). The MAHB is Stanford's new initiative to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration towards a sustainable future. MAHB is a global network of social scientists, humanists and scholars in related field who utilize their collective knowledge to understand and communicate foresight intelligence and create a vision of plausible and compelling world which is moving towards sustainability and social equality.
We are excited to announce that John's daughters, Siana and Mara have their name on a cheetah collar! This is very exciting as this is the first time there have ever been GPS tracking collars placed on cheetah in the Masai Mara reserve. We are so excited that Siana and Mara can begin to have a connection to the place where their names have originated. And on their favorite animal no less. - Exciting day!
"Game of Lions" by John Banovich receives the Medal of Excellence and the Best in Show awards in the 2015 Annual Exhibit held in Vancouver, B.C.
John Banovich: The Montana-born artist, conservationist, and storyteller paints to preserve wild animals and the wild places they inhabit.
Artist Banovich Is Dedicated To Protecting The Wild In His Wildscapes - NBC Cause Celeb highlights a celebrity’s work on behalf of a specific cause.
The Banovich Wildscapes Foundation (BWF) launched the Beast Benefit in January of 2014 to raise funding for the critical projects that BWF supports. Through a silent auction, sales of the Banovich "King" giclee canvas and many generous donations, the efforts raised over $75,000 for the foundation. The Beast Benefit closed with an event held in Las Vegas in February. Held in honor of wildlife conservation, the evening featured many special guests including speakers Dr. Laurence Frank, Living with Lions Project Director, Dr. Lance Craighead, Conservation Director of the Craighead Institute and Kat Combes, CEO of the Soysambu Conservancy. John Banovich and the Banovich Wildscape Foundation deeply thank all generous donors, sponsors and supporters.
Project Panda: The Global Search for “Chengdu Pambassador”
Painter John Banovich raises awareness of the connection between hunting and wildlife conservation Written by Scott McMillion Swimming with Elephants - Bulls Oil on Linen 40 x 48 inches very afternoon for 10 days, John Banovich went to the banks of Botswana’s Khwai River, where families of elephants gathered to eat and drink and bathe. With 25 trips to Africa under his belt, he’d seen a lot of elephants but he wanted to see more, to learn more. Like the time he spotted a baby that had lost its trunk, perhaps to a lion attack, and he saw its mother break off branches to feed the infant.
John Banovich is one of the most acclaimed wildlife artists in the United States and his art is also widely appreciated by many international collectors. He specializes in large oil canvases of Africa’s wildlife, but his work is inspired by subjects from all the continents of the globe. John is talented, prolific and dedicated – both to his art and to preserving the wild places where the animals live. To this end, he has partnered with AWF to create the Pride Initiative – a conservation-awareness and fund-raising effort that focuses specifically on preserving Africa’s largest and most social of cats – the African lion.