Art that Matters to the Planet: Wild America

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, NY, invites artists to submit work for our fourth annual juried exhibition of Art that Matters to the Planet.

Art that Matters to the Planet explores the ways in which art and artists can help to shape a more sustainable future. Art that Matters to the Planet: Wild America will coincide with the 70th anniversary of the publication of Wild America: The Record of a 30,000 Mile Journey Around the Continent by a Distinguished Naturalist and His British Colleague, by Roger Tory Peterson and James Fisher.

We are pleased to announce that Kenn Kaufman will be serving as the juror for 2025. Kaufman is an American author, artist, naturalist, and conservationist who was strongly influenced by the artwork and writing of Roger Tory Peterson. In particular, Wild America inspired Kenn to pursue birds all over North America while he was still a teenager.

OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS – CLICK HERE TO APPLY

About Wild America:
In April of 1953, Roger Tory Peterson met his British cohort James Fisher in Newfoundland, and together they began a 100-day, 30,000-mile journey around the continent, documenting the birds, scenery, and people they saw along the way. Their journey was later documented in a book called Wild America, first published in 1955.

2025 marks the 70th anniversary of the publication of Wild America. Along with this anniversary, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute (RTPI) is revisiting the journey and publication with Art that Matters to the Planet: Wild America, a juried exhibition of artworks which tell a story about the wild spaces in North America. With Art that Matters to the Planet: Wild America, RTPI will revisit the original journey through the eyes and voices of artists living in the areas visited by Peterson and Fisher, and by artists who incorporate exploration of nature into their practice.