Artists Libby Smith and Alan Sonneman, who received the $2,500 first-place prize, attend the opening reception for the Wildling Museum of Art & Nature’s juried exhibition “Celebrating the National Lands of California.” 
Alan Sonneman’s winning artwork: Foxtail Pine, Western Slope of Cirque Peak, Sequoia National Park. 
Artist Janice Tieken with her photography entry of Condor Dolly. 
Wildling Museum board president Kristine Power, left, and Frederica Welch. 
Exhibition artist Ines Roberts with her husband, Gilbert. 
The print Dunes in Death Valley by artist Ines Roberts. 
Guests browse the gallery during the exhibit’s opening reception. 
From the stairs of the museum, Executive Director Stacey Otte-Demangate announces the award winners. 
Second-place winner Lynn Hanson reacts to her prize announcement. Judge Nathan Huff looks on.
The Wildling Museum of Art & Nature in Solvang held an opening reception on July 20 for its second juried exhibition, titled “Celebrating the National Lands of California,” which showcased fine art inspired by national parks, monuments, preserves and recreation areas in California.
The show will be on view through Jan. 20.
The goal of the exhibit is to raise awareness about the wealth of national lands to be found in California, to celebrate wilderness, nature and preservation, and to provide an opportunity for artists to display their work.
“This is an exciting moment for the Wildling Museum to share this exhibition with the public after months of preparation,” Wildling Museum Executive Director Stacey Otte-Demangate told Noozhawk. “We were pleased to receive over 300 entries from artists across nine different states, and it speaks to the caliber of the work featured in the show.
This is the Wildling’s second juried competition celebrating public lands, this time with a broader focus that includes California’s national monuments, like nearby Carrizo Plain.”
Winners will be considered for acquisition into the Wildling’s permanent collection upon board approval, with the cash prize to be considered full financial consideration for the artwork.
On display was Ventura-based artist Janice Tieken’s photograph of Condor Dolly. The photo of the then-3-year-old condor highlighted the ongoing effort to halt the extinction of the Caifornia condor. The few remaining in the wild were rescued from immanent loss, bred in captivity, then reintroduced. Dolly has a broken wing, so she can't live in the wild, and is a compelling ambassador for the project.
“Dolly was brought to the courtyard of the Ventura museum for one hour,” Tieken told Noozhawk. “I was shooting over guests’ heads, I was entranced by this young bird. My images of this glorious bird reflect the many elements of her personality. She is young, fierce, inquisitive, majestic, vulnerable, innocent and a marvel of nature. I easily fell in love with her. Protecting her and her species is vital.”
Sponsorship support for “Celebrating the National Lands of California” was provided by The Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, Pete and Becky Adams, Tierra Alta Vineyard and donors to the Patti Jacquemain Exhibition Fund. Judges included Otte-Demangate, Nathan Huff and George Rose.
The 60-plus featured artists included Neal Abello, Illona Battaglia Aguayo, Kathy Barnhart, Stephen Berry, Nancy Bingham, Peggy Brierton, Sue Britt, Barbara Brown, Bob Canepa, Chris Chapman, Ted Chin, Robert Cooke, Carla Crawford, Taylor Crisp, Dennis Curry, Joseph Doherty, Celeste Evans, Kevin Gleason, Lynn Hanson, Chuck Harris, Patricia Hedrick, Ivan Hernandez, Mark Hespenheide, James Hodgson, Christine Huhn, Susan G. Jorgensen, Gretchen Kieding, Christine Kierstead, Linda Kunik, Ed Lister, Dana Mano-Flank, Deborah Newman, Ana Phelps, Linda Sue Price, Kelly Radding, Robin Raznick, Mariah Reading, Ines Roberts, Hannah Rothstein, Ann Sanders, Brenda Whitehill Schlenker, Samantha Schwann, Stephen Shachtman, Virginia Sharkey, Pamela Sloan, Libby Smith, Jen Snoeyink, Alan Sonneman, Geralyn Souza, James Stoicheff, Nic Stover, Cheryl Strahl, Janice Tieken, Chris Turnham, Blake Whitaker, Chad Williams and Nancy Yaki.
Prize Winners
First Place ($2,500 prize):
Alan Sonneman
Foxtail Pine, Western Slope of Cirque Peak, Sequoia National Park
Oil on linen, 2016
Second Place ($1,000 prize):
Lynn Hanson
Fieldnotes, Channel Islands National Park
Charcoal on vintage Santa Cruz Channel nautical chart, 2019
Third Place ($500 prize):
Nancy Yaki
Santa Monica Mountains
Acrylic on canvas, 2019
Honorable Mentions (listed alphabetically):
Sue Britt
Spring Cove at Point Reyes
Mixed Media, 2019
Robert Cooke
Zabriskie Point
Photograph, 2019
Ivan Hernandez
Spring Serenade
Photograph, 2018
Mariah Reading
El (Hub)Capitan II
Photograph, 2018
Blake Whitaker
Joshua Tree
Acrylic on canvas, 2019
Artist and conservation advocate Patti Jacquemain founded the Wildling Museum in 1997. With help from her husband, Dave Gledhill, and their friends, the Wildling opened its doors in Los Olivos in 2000.
The Wildling moved to its larger location in Solvang in 2013. Since its founding, the Wildling has grown an active community of museum volunteers, museum members, board members, advisory council members and staff. The museum engages more than 12,000 people a year through art classes for young and old, community art shows, film screenings and lectures.
Click here for more information about the Wildling Museum, call 805.686.8315 or email Otte-Demangate at stacey@wildlingmuseum. Click here to make an online donation. The museum, at 1511-B Mission Drive in Solvang, is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. It's closed on Tuesdays.
— Noozhawk contributing writer Rochelle Rose can be reached at rrose@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.