Newcomb Campus Hosts Sculptor as Artist-in-residence

06/20/2016

Sculptor George Bumann, a member of the ESF Class of '98, is the fourth artist-in-residence at the Newcomb Campus, and will be in residence June 29 through July 27.

Bumann, who lives at Yellowstone Park's northern entrance in Gardiner, Montana, is a lifelong observer of nature and was raised in his mother's sculpture studio. He earned his bachelor's degree in wildlife ecology, went on for a master's degree and has worked in the fields of wildlife research, taxidermy, back-country guiding and environmental consulting. He has taught art and natural history programs for youth, adult, and university audiences since 1990.

Bumann and his family will spend at least a month working out of the Adirondack Interpretive Center in Newcomb. Visitors will have several opportunities (listed below) to interact with him.

"As a wildlife sculptor, George connects closely with Anna Hyatt Huntington's legacy," said Paul Hai, associate director for the ESF Northern Forest Institute. "And through this connection we are developing a partnership with the Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, which has two of her works, to offer additional content around the residency." Huntington was a famed sculptor who, with her husband, Archer Huntington, donated 15,000 acres of forest property to the college in 1932. The Newcomb Campus now encompasses that land.

Bumann's work is held in collections throughout the United States and around the globe, including in the permanent collections of the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Montana. His work was featured in the book, "Sculpture of the Rockies," by the editors of Southwest Art Magazine. As an elected member of the National Sculpture Society and the Society of Animal Artists, his work has been shown at the society's annual exhibitions and miniatures shows as well as the Coors Art Exhibit & Sale, Bennington Center for the Arts' Art of the Animal Kingdom, Birds in Art Exhibition at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, the C.M Russell Auction, and Loveland's Sculpture in the Park. His educational outreach has been featured in publications such as the Salt Lake City Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post and Sacramento Bee, and on television, radio, and the internet with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, and Tedx Bozeman.

The work of the Newcomb Campus' 2015 artists-in-residence, Casey Landerkin and Mariana Trofimova, was exhibited on the ESF campus as part of Earth Week celebrations. The Artist in Residency program is made possible through the generous support of the Adirondack Park Institute.

Bumann's public schedule is as follows:

Thursday, June 30, 7 p.m.
Meet the Artist—presentation and welcoming reception. Visitors will meet Bumann and learn about his work and artistic process.

Thursday, July 7, 7 p.m.
Huntington Lecture Series - The Intelligence of Animals: Ravens & Wolves
By learning how two different species in Yellowstone — ravens and wolves — interact with each other and their environment, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the world outside their door.

Saturday, July 9
Raptors: Sculpting Models of Perfection
Participants will learn the basics of sculpture from tools, modeling clay and armatures as a way to understand raptors from the inside out

Children's program 1 p.m., adult program 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 23, 1 p.m.
Sketch that Bird! aka Better Birding Through the Artful Eye
Visitors can learn new skills to observe closely, build visual memory and record sightings. The basics of quick field sketching will be taught and tips will be shared for better identification.

Open Studio opportunities are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 4, 11, 22 and 29.