The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin, celebrates a milestone 50th anniversary of its Birds in Art exhibition, which takes place each fall the weekend after Labor Day. For five decades now, the annual exhibition has celebrated avian art with an exceptional collection of original paintings, sculpture and graphics by bird and wildlife artists across the world.
Randy Van Dyck, Re Pear, 2025, acrylic on cradled panel
The 50th annual exhibition will feature artworks by 102 artists selected by a panel of jurors, including international artists representing 16 countries, as well as 41 who have earned the museum's Master Wildlife Artist status. Each artist has a passion for avian life and the ways in which these winged creatures connect us to the natural world.
Attendees enjoy avian artwork during a past edition of Birds in Art.
Participating artist Mary Cornish is known for her portrayals of “ugly” birds. “I think of myself as a portrait painter, my subjects just happen to be avian,” she says. “As an artist, any light I can [shed] on wildlife is a contribution to saving the beauty around us. With changing environmental policies, the fate of wildlife could all change in the blink of an eye. I really want the viewer to fall into the space of my paintings, and hopefully enjoy the colors, rhythms and detail that I have used to create the image.” Her painting in the upcoming show depicts the vivid greens, pinks and blues of a roseate spoonbill.
Mary Cornish, At First Blush, oil on Raymar L64C linen panel, 16 x 20 in.
Another piece in the show is Randy Van Dyck’s acrylic on panel Re Pear. The piece depicts the citrusy hues of a Western tanager perched atop a pear, centered within a mountainous valley.
Other artists juried into the 2025 show include William Alther, T. Allen Lawson, Thomas Hill, Wei Zhang, Kathleen Dunphy, Jane Kim, Sherrie York, Mark Eberhard, Peter Nilsson, Tony Craig and more.
More than 80 artists will be in attendance for the exhibition’s opening festivities, which begin September 6. Events include a guest speaker’s presentation at 9:30 am; Artists in Action demonstrations from 10:45 a.m. to noon; Watch, Learn & Create sessions with artists at the Glass Box Studio from 1 to 4 p.m., and more. A number of attending artists will also be participating in gallery chats and live demonstrations throughout the weekend.
Craig Blietz, Vortex, 2025, sumi ink, casein, acrylic and graphite on Arches
A full color illustrated catalog featuring every work along with artists’ statements will be available for purchase in September. Birds in Art will be on view through January 4, 2026. —
Birds in Art
When: September 6, 2025-January 4, 2026
Where: Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum
700 N. 12th Street, Wausau, WI 54403
Information: (715) 845-7010, www.lywam.org
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