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April 2006 Press Release

Andrea Rich named Woodson Art Museum’s 2006 Master Wildlife Artist

WAUSAU, WISCONSIN: The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum has named American woodcut artist Andrea Rich as its 2006 Master Wildlife Artist. She will receive the award during the preview opening of “Birds in Art” on September 8, 2006.

            As the Woodson’s 28th Master Artist, Rich will be represented in “Birds in Art” by a dozen artworks that exemplify her complex woodcut designs. Following a longstanding “Birds in Art” opening weekend tradition, she will present a free public program at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 9.

            In announcing the 2006 Master, Woodson director Kathy Kelsey Foley praised Rich for her artistry, creativity and originality, and her mastery of a challenging medium. “Andrea adds further luster to the ranks of Woodson Master Wildlife Artists with her exceptional talents and individual approach to artworks focused on avian and animal themes.”

            Sculptor Tony Angell, the 2001 Master Wildlife Artist, reacted to the news of Rich’s selection by writing, “[Andrea’s] dedication to her beautifully designed work and her efforts to pursue it around the world are an inspiration, and the work itself is remarkable in its uniqueness and insightfulness. [Andrea is] a fine choice who will bring further distinction to the honor.”

            Rich is a native of Racine, Wisconsin, and earned a B.S. in art education at UW-Whitewater. She resides in Santa Cruz, California.  Rich has participated in fifteen previous “Birds in Art” exhibitions, beginning in 1989, and is the third woman to be designated a Master Wildlife Artist in the exhibition’s thirty-one-year history.

In 2002 Rich honored the Woodson Art Museum by making it the repository for her artistic body of work – or oeuvre – which includes one of every woodcut she has created since the mid-1980s and the promise of an example of all future work. Her gifts to date number 161. Rich’s bold woodcuts add depth to the Museum’s print collection and are distinguished by the strength of their subject matter as well as the sensitive portrayal of species in their natural habitat.

The 2006 “Birds in Art” exhibition, on view September 9-November 12, will feature more than 120 original paintings, sculptures, and graphics created by an international roster of artists. The exhibition’s full-color catalogue, featuring an essay about Andrea Rich, will be available for $18.50 plus $4.50 S/H. A poster featuring a Rich image also will be available. For more information, contact the Woodson Art Museum at 715-845-7010 or museum@lywam.org.