4th Annual World Lemur Festival Art Gallery
Lemurs need our help, and artists around the world have taken action to put a spotlight on Madagascar’s endangered primates.
Visual arts convey powerful messages and instill a sense of awe in ways that numbers and statistics alone cannot.
Art is one of the core principles of LCF’s mission statement, and each year we invite artists to participate in the World Lemur Festival Juried Art Exhibition to truly inspire, raise awareness, and take action to protect lemurs and their fragile habitats.
“…dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the primates of Madagascar through managed breeding, scientific research, education, and art.”
Congratulations to the winners of the 4th Annual World Lemur Festival Art Contest!
The Lemur Conservation Foundation is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2021 World Lemur Festival Juried Art Exhibition!
Our panel of judges reviewed each entry with close attention and an insightful eye, deliberating until a consensus was reached. This art exhibit encourages artists and the public to examine more closely these extraordinary animals and think critically about their uncertain future.
Lemurs offer endless opportunities for artistic expression. The variety in form, color, and size, in addition to their imperiled status, beg to be rendered into art.” Jean Blackburn, LCF Art Committee Member
The diverse artistic styles, unique mediums, and passion infused into each piece truly accomplished our goal to shine a light on lemurs and lemur conservation.
First Place Winner
Abigail Brynoff of Illinois (United States) was selected as this year’s grand prize winner. In addition to the $500 prize, Abigail has also earned the distinguished title of “Lemur Artist of the Year.” Her digital art titled ‘Angel of the Forest’ is an exquisite rendering of one of the rarest and most beautiful animals on Earth – a silky sifaka. The stunning lighting in this piece creates an ethereal silky sifaka that glows as if imagining her ancestors’ perfect home.
I chose to focus on one of the nicknames that locals gave it due to their white fur which is ‘angels of the forest.’ The piece is meant to capture the angelic qualities of the silky sifaka, an incredibly rare sight in the wild.”
Mark Ormond, one of this year’s judges, said, “The artist has recreated the habitat and the appearance of the lemur in a succinct and concise way that allows the viewer to imagine an ideal world for the lemur that is far from the reality of the lemur’s current challenge.”
Second Place Winner
This digital art piece titled ‘Anticipation’ by Sophie Araque-Liu of Florida (United States) won second place and a prize of $250.
I wanted my work to show how distressing it is to be at risk of losing your home without being able to do anything to stop it. However, humans like us can help them and preserve lemur habitats by preventing deforestation where they live.”
Penelope Bodry-Sanders, LCF founder and Art Committee Member, described this piece as “fascinating, well-wrought, and ominously moving.” The abstracted composition of the artwork invites the viewer to experience the tragic reality of deforestation from the point of view of a ring-tailed mother and her two infants. With an astonishing 98% of lemurs threatened with extinction, this piece sends a clear message of the current reality in Madagascar and the need for action to protect delicate lemur habitats.
LCF works together with Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) accredited organizations to maintain a healthy population of ring-tailed lemurs which serve as a safety net against permanent extinction. Learn more about ring-tailed lemurs.
Additionally, the judges would like to recognize the following three entries with an Honorable Mention to celebrate the artists’ exceptional talent and skill.
Moved by the stunning array of artwork, our panel of judges chose to recognize three additional pieces with an honorable mention. “I so enjoy this process and meeting new artists through their work. These images are all so powerful for different reasons,” said Mark Ormond.
Seeing the Danger (oil painting)
by Taraoo Ranarison
Antananarivo, Madagascar
Homeless (graphite)
By Sandra Weiner
Connecticut, United States
Hope for the Future (digital art)
by Jessie Jordan
Texas, United States
The judges were struck by Taraoo Ranarison’s depiction of a tiny mouse lemur who is living in a moment of desperation in the piece titled ‘Seeing the Danger.’
Counter to that panic is Sandra Weiner’s fabulous drawing of a black and white ruffed lemur which focuses on the beauty of the lemur and its fragile state of existence.
Finally, the lovely joy in ‘Hope for the Future’ by Jessie Jordan conveys an inspiring conservation message of harmony between humans and nature.
“Thank you for giving me the pleasure of viewing these heartfelt and varied works,” said Jean Blackburn whose gratitude was echoed by all the judges in this year’s panel. Nearly 60 artists from around the world entered this competition.
The two grand prize winning art pieces will be accessioned into the LCF’s permanent art collection and featured in our 2021 Annual Report. We’d like to thank all the artists who participated and our wonderfully generous sponsors who made this opportunity possible.
Congratulations to the winners of the 4th Annual World Lemur Festival Art Contest!
The Lemur Conservation Foundation (LCF) is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2021 World Lemur Festival Juried Art Exhibition!
Our panel of judges reviewed each entry with close attention and an insightful eye, deliberating until a consensus was reached. This art exhibit encourages artists and the public to examine more closely these extraordinary animals and think critically about their uncertain future.
Lemurs offer endless opportunities for artistic expression. The variety in form, color, and size, in addition to their imperiled status, beg to be rendered into art.” Jean Blackburn, LCF Art Committee Member
The diverse artistic styles, unique mediums, and passion infused into each piece truly accomplished our goal to shine a light on lemurs and lemur conservation.
First Place Winner
Abigail Brynoff of Illinois (United States) was selected as this year’s grand prize winner. In addition to the $500 prize, Abigail has also earned the distinguished title of “Lemur Artist of the Year.” Her digital art titled ‘Angel of the Forest’ is an exquisite rendering of one of the rarest and most beautiful animals on Earth – a silky sifaka. The stunning lighting in this piece creates an ethereal silky sifaka that glows as if imagining her ancestors’ perfect home.
I chose to focus on one of the nicknames that locals gave it due to their white fur which is ‘angels of the forest.’ The piece is meant to capture the angelic qualities of the silky sifaka, an incredibly rare sight in the wild.”
Mark Ormond, one of this year’s judges, said, “The artist has recreated the habitat and the appearance of the lemur in a succinct and concise way that allows the viewer to imagine an ideal world for the lemur that is far from the reality of the lemur’s current challenge.”
LCF helps protect this critically endangered species at Marojejy National Park and Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve in the northeastern region of Madagascar. Learn more about the silky sifaka.
Second Place Winner
This digital art piece titled ‘Anticipation’ won second place and a prize of $250. The Florida (United States) artist wished to remain anonymous to truly keep the focus on the plight of lemurs.
I wanted my work to show how distressing it is to be at risk of losing your home without being able to do anything to stop it. However, humans like us can help them and preserve lemur habitats by preventing deforestation where they live.”
Penelope Bodry-Sanders, LCF founder and Art Committee Member, described this piece as “fascinating, well-wrought, and ominously moving.” The abstracted composition of the artwork invites the viewer to experience the tragic reality of deforestation from the point of view of a ring-tailed mother and her two infants. With an astonishing 98% of lemurs threatened with extinction, this piece sends a clear message of the current reality in Madagascar and the need for action to protect delicate lemur habitats.
LCF works together with Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) accredited organizations to maintain a healthy population of ring-tailed lemurs which serve as a safety net against permanent extinction. Learn more about ring-tailed lemurs.
Additionally, the judges would like to recognize the following three entries with an Honorable Mention to celebrate the artists’ exceptional talent and skill.
Moved by the stunning array of artwork, our panel of judges chose to recognize three additional pieces with an honorable mention. “I so enjoy this process and meeting new artists through their work. These images are all so powerful for different reasons,” said Mark Ormond.
Seeing the Danger (oil painting)
by Taraoo Ranarison
Antananarivo, Madagascar
Homeless (graphite)
By Sandra Weiner
Connecticut, United States
Hope for the Future (digital art)
by Jessie Jordan
Texas, United States
The judges were struck by Taraoo Ranarison’s depiction of a tiny mouse lemur who is living in a moment of desperation in the piece titled ‘Seeing the Danger.’
Counter to that panic is Sandra Weiner’s fabulous drawing of a black and white ruffed lemur which focuses on the beauty of the lemur and its fragile state of existence.
Finally, the lovely joy in ‘Hope for the Future’ by Jessie Jordan conveys an inspiring conservation message of harmony between humans and nature.
“Thank you for giving me the pleasure of viewing these heartfelt and varied works,” said Jean Blackburn whose gratitude was echoed by all the judges in this year’s panel. Nearly 60 artists from around the world entered this competition.
The two grand prize winning art pieces will be accessioned into the LCF’s permanent art collection and featured in our 2021 Annual Report. We’d like to thank all the artists who participated and our wonderfully generous sponsors who made this opportunity possible.
Community Favorite!
We asked you to select a favorite art entry, and the results are in! Congratulations to Rhonda Lulu Art who has won the Community Favorite Award for her beautiful digital art piece titled “Julian.”
Thank you to all artists who participated in the 2021 Juried Art Exhibition.
Community Favorite!
We asked you to select a favorite art entry, and the results are in! Congratulations to Rhonda Lulu Art who has won the Community Favorite Award for her beautiful digital art piece titled “Julian.”
Thank you to all artists who participated in the 2021 Juried Art Exhibition.
We are proud to digitally showcase the following entries during our 4th annual Juried Art Exhibition.
Please enjoy these lemur-themed pieces created by artists around the globe. Thank you to all the participants who submitted art; together we can protect the primates of Madagascar.
Click (or tap, on your mobile device) any image to view the full sized piece. Click on the Vote button to vote for your favorite(s). You can place one vote per submission, and vote for as many as you like!
Title: Follow the Lemur
Artist: Jacob Garcia
Medium: Augmented Reality
Title: Which Lemur Are You?
Artist: Ciera Chase
Medium: Augmented Reality
Meet the Judges
Penelope Bodry-Sanders
Penelope founded LCF in 1996 and served as its executive director until 2010. In 1998, Penelope retired from New York’s American Museum of Natural History after serving over 18 years in a number of capacities, but primarily as education coordinator for the museum’s international education travel program. She continues her AMNH affiliation as a field associate in the Division of Anthropology.
Penelope’s own path to conservation was anything but conventional: she was a Dominican nun and an actress/singer on and off Broadway before she founded LCF. Today she makes paintings that celebrate animals undervalued or loathed, mostly hyenas, lemurs, and invertebrates. Penelope is dedicated to the idea that art cannot change the world but that it can most certainly change the way we think, interpret, and feel about it.
Mark Ormond
Mark’s primary interest and expertise is in contemporary art. With over 25 years of experience in the art world, he has organized dozens of museum exhibitions – and scheduled, coordinated, designed and installed over one hundred others. After completing graduate and undergraduate programs in art history at George Washington University and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively, he held museum positions in the areas of education, curatorial, collections management and administration. He is also a graduate of U.C. Berkeley’s Museum Management Institute.
During his ten-year association with the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, he was appointed Senior Curator & Deputy Director for Collections and Programs. While in Miami, he became the first Curator and then was appointed Director of the Center for the Fine Arts (now the Miami Art Museum). He has also held positions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. As an independent curator, author, lecturer and consultant since 1999, Mark remains engaged in a broad range of contemporary art projects.
George Cwirko-Godycki
George began teaching at Ringling College of Art and Design in 2017 as an adjunct instructor. In addition to his teaching role, George is a freelance illustrator with a focus on whimsical line work for print and online publications. His work with students, art projects, and travels are frequently featured on his Instagram account, @georgedrawing, which enjoys an active following of more than 120,000 people around the world. George has completed a solo gallery show, published four books of illustrations and is under contract to write a drawing instruction book.
Prior to Ringling College, George was a faculty member at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco for six years, where he taught costume drawing, digital painting, and fashion illustration, among other courses. George earned his B.F.A. in Illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
Jean Blackburn
Jean was born and grew up on Anna Maria Island, Florida. She received a BA Degree from the University of Florida, an AS degree in Biological Parks Technology from State College of FL, Gainesville and an MFA from the University of Oregon where she was awarded a two year graduate teaching fellowship. She taught fine arts at State College of Florida, Manatee, Ringling College of Art and Design and New College of Florida. She has completed a masters workshop at the Canadian School of Non-toxic Printmaking in Alberta and at The Edinburgh Institute of Printmaking in Scotland.
She was certified by the University of Florida as a Master Gardener and Master Naturalist and served on governing boards of Sarasota’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Oversight Council, Sea to Shore Alliance and The Friends of Myakka River State Park. Her early adult years were spent sailing and painting throughout the Caribbean, Bahamas and Central America. A small farm in Old Myakka and a cottage on Longboat Key is where she now gardens, paints and lives with her family.