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A new art exhibition is coming to the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, exploring exotic and endangered wildlife. The ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ theme aims to raise awareness about conservation and identifying species on the brink of extinction, with the goal of recovery. The community is invited to attend the free opening reception on Thursday, April 11, 2024, from 5:30 until 7 p.m. ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ will be on view in the Center’s award-winning TowneBank Art Gallery and Norfolk Foundation Gallery from April 11 to May 18, 2024.

Endangered animals are classified as species threatened by extinction due to loss of habitat, genetic variation, and poaching. ‘The Endangered Species Act,’ established in 1973, provides a program for their conservation and protection.

The exhibition features two artists: naturalist photographer Bonnie Horne and painter Bobbi Gunn. Bonnie Horne’s work expresses the beauty and diversity of the natural world, focusing on understanding animal habits and capturing them in various settings. Bobbi Gunn, a self-taught painter, showcases her inspiration for the environment through landscape and endangered animal paintings.

Betsy DiJulio serves as this year’s juror, tasked with selecting award-winning artworks from a range of mediums. The ‘Walk on the Wild Side’ exhibition presents works by 46 talented artists and offers a variety of art forms for purchase.

Artists include;

Walk on the Wild Side’ art exhibition showcases 46 talented Artists creating one-of-a-kind decoys, paintings, jewelry, photography, stained glass, ceramics, sculptures, felted art, and drawings. The artwork is available for purchase.

Angel Jones, Portsmouth

Angie Salerno, Suffolk

Barbara Kobylinska, Virginia Beach

Bobbi Gunn, Virginia Beach

Bonnie Byrum, Suffolk

Bonnie Horne, Smithfield

Carol Heischober, Virginia Beach

Carol Whitaker, Suffolk

Cole McElroy, Suffolk

Corby Amos, Suffolk

Cynthia Quesenberry, Suffolk

Dana Conner, Moyock, North Carolina

Daniel Goodwin, Hampton

Debbie Hobbs, Suffolk

Edward Vann, Norfolk

Elizabeth Blanchard, Suffolk

Eric Baur, Suffolk

Gordon Jones, Suffolk

Gwen Elmore, Suffolk

Jama Watts, Hampton

Janet Ogren, Virginia Beach

John O’Neil III, Chesapeake

Kate Holl, Unknown

Kelly Mazzrillo, Chesapeake

Kimberly Holland, Smithfield

Laura Schmidt, Chesapeake

Linda Hackworth, Chesapeake

Linda Phillips, Suffolk

Mary LeCompte, Smithfield

Mary Pawlowski, Virginia Beach

Nancy Saunders, Suffolk

Nancy Topping Bazin, Norfolk

Patricia Outland, Suffolk

Patrick Neary, Chesapeake

Red Lagoe, Virginia Beach

Regina DeVal, Suffolk

Rhona Dawson, Suffolk

Rick Seguso, Norfolk

Ruffin Alphin, Suffolk

Sharon Devlin, Virginia Beach

Shirley Lu, Virginia Beach

Stephanie Faleski, Smithfield

Tommy Johnson, Suffolk

Tonya Hopson, Norfolk

Valerie Johnson, Smithfield

Wade Johnson, Richmond

The public is invited to meet the artists on Thursday, April 11, from 5:30 until 7 p.m. The art galleries are free and open to the public Tuesdays – Saturdays, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., with tours welcome. The Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts is located at 110 W. Finney Avenue, Suffolk, VA, 23434. For more information, call 757.923.0003 or visit SuffolkCenter.org.