Press Release
World-Renowned Wildlife Artist Presents 2004 Retrospective
at The Wildlife Experience
DENVER – The Wildlife Experience will exhibit a retrospective of work by the world-renowned wildlife artist Simon Combes this summer, entitled Africa and Beyond: The Art and Adventures of Simon Combes. This retrospective exhibition of paintings represents a cross-section of the artist's body of work that spans more than two decades.
Africa and Beyond: The Art and Adventures of Simon Combes will be on display in the museum from June 19 th to October 3 rd , 2004, and will be composed of more than seventy paintings. Over 50 of the pieces are privately owned Simon Combes originals, including the entire “Great Cats” portfolio. This collection of paintings represents an enormous variety of both size and subject matter – from a 12-foot long historical portrayal of the great bison herds as seen by Lewis and Clark more than two-hundred years ago to a canvas portraying Africa's smallest antelope, the dikdik.
Combes is no stranger to The Wildlife Experience. Several of his works have been displayed at the museum, and his 1984 painting, The Wildebeest Migration , was digitally reproduced into a 112-foot mural that curves behind the specimens in the Vanishing Africa Gallery.
Simon Combes was born in Shaftesbury, England in 1940, but moved to Kenya at the age of six with his family, and has lived in Kenya nearly ever since. The focus of his art has primarily been the wildlife that populates Kenya, as well as depicting the beautiful scenery and landscape of the country in larger mural paintings.
Over the span of his career, Simon Combes has achieved worldwide success and has received numerous prestigious awards, including the Society of Animal Artists' Award of Excellence. As well, h e was selected as “Artist of the Year” for the 1994 Pacific Rim Wildlife Art Show. Simon Combes uses his worldwide success and talent to raise wildlife conservation awareness, and has served on several conservation councils.
At a June 18 reception the night before the opening of the exhibit, Combes will give a brief talk and sign books and posters. On opening day, he will host a gallery tour for volunteers and museum visitors and conduct a slide presentation. During his weeklong visit to the Wildlife Experience museum, Combes will be painting a work to be sold to benefit his favorite charity, the Rhino Rescue Trust Fund.
During his weeklong visit to the Wildlife Experience museum, Combes will be painting a work to be sold to benefit Combes' favorite charity, the Rhino Rescue Trust Fund. The Wildlife Experience is also looking forward to supporting this worthy wildlife conservation program.
For more information about this exhibit and The Wildlife Experience, please call (720) 488-3300, or visit thewildlifeexperience.org. For more information on Simon Combes, visit www.simoncombesartist.com.
