Inspiring Lobo Art!
Mexican wolf supporters in the southwest have come up with many inventive ways to use art to promote their recovery. This article showcases some wonderful examples.
Folks in Flagstaff were treated to a glimpse of possibility when the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project staged a temporary release of wolves to inspire people to imagine what they are missing.
Volunteer Lauren Strohacker, an ASU art graduate student, spent time observing and photographing the lobos at the Phoenix Zoo and created beautiful wolf silhouettes out of wood and paper.
The wooden silhouettes were on exhibit in the Flagstaff Brewing Company and Flagstaff Coffee Company for the entire month of October, and the paper wolves re-inhabited downtown Flagstaff in alley ways and on the sides of businesses for one week.
Photographer Nate Renn captured them beautifully. /
Lobos got a lift at the 2009 International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque.
Artist Sarah Rose designed the banner, which says “Restore Mexican Wolves In The Wild”, and lobo activist Kaisa Lappalainen got it printed courtesy of SignArt in Albuquerque and placed on the gondola of Gloria Caeli, a balloon that was designed, built and tie-dyed by Mexican gray wolf advocate Jonathan Wolfe.
The banner flew with Gloria throughout the Balloon Fiesta week, and was seen on several local news channels that were covering the Fiesta.
Sarah and Kaisa also made Mexican gray wolves part of the Dia de los Muertos Marigold Parade and festivities in Albuquerque with a giant Lobo skeleton and Ofrenda (altar) to the memory of all the Mexican wolves that have been killed or died since the reintroduction began in 1998.
For the past several years, the Southwest Environmental Center has held a Mexican Wolf Art and Essay Contest for middle school aged students. More than 400 students from across southwestern New Mexico submitted entries in 2009. The Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, was the featured guest at the awards ceremony to congratulate all the participating students and their teachers.
Winning art entry by Eluid Martinez of Chaparral Middle School
Art contest second place entry by Isabeau Egan of Sierra Middle School
Kudos to these amazing artists whose work inspires us all in our efforts to protect Mexican gray wolves!
