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Conservation Through Art, an initiative started in 2005 by ArtsMemphis and Ducks Unlimited as a way to raise both funds and awareness for wildlife conservation, local arts groups and environmental education, is back this year with a week’s worth of events that focus on the outdoors and the arts. FedEx Corporation is the sponsor of Conservation Through Art 2008.
Conservation Through Art opens Sunday, October 19th. Events include:
• Sunday, October 19th, 2-5 p.m.: Family Day at Shelby Farms. Free and open to the public. Activities include fishing, decoy painting, outdoor conservation and recreation games, working-dog demonstrations, duck-calling lessons, a special outdoor performance by Voices of the South, and much more. Family Day is presented by Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation and supported by the Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation.
Produced in partnership with the Great Outdoors University, a youth conservation program of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation. The mission of the Great Outdoors University is to connect kids with the great outdoors in lasting, meaningful ways. In Memphis, GOU participants range in age from 7 to 17 and would not likely have the opportunity to learn about and experience the outdoors otherwise.
• Tuesday, October 21st, 7 p.m.: Richard Louv, co-founder and chair of the Children & Nature Network and the author of the bestseller Last Child in the Woods, will present his work and propose opportunities for the Memphis community at two events. Richard Louv is presented by the Hyde Family Foundations and will give an address at the Germantown Performing Arts Centre. The talk is free and open to the public (reserve seats by contacting Bonnie Shelby at 901/578-2787 or bshelby@artsmemphis.org). Louv’s work inspired the formation of the Great Outdoors University as well as a national movement to “Leave No Child Inside.” His expertise with what he terms “nature-deficit disorder” is now the basis for a federal action to increase nature education programs in schools across the country. He has been profiled in numerous publications including The New York Times, Scientific American, the Christian Science Monitor, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, as well as on NPR’s Morning Edition, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, salon.com and many more. There will also be a luncheon and presentation by Louv that day at Ducks Unlimited; invitation only.
• Thursday, October 23rd: Exhibit and auction of hunting club photography by Murray Riss Unveiling of new book, First Shooting Light, published by ArtsMemphis. First Shooting Light is a photographic journal offering an insider’s view of 19 exclusive hunting clubs in the Mississippi Flyway area. First Shooting Light features historic interviews with club members and extraordinary photographs by Murray Riss. The book will be unveiled a special sponsors-only reception and exhibit that includes an auction of Riss’ photography. This event is invitation-only and will be at Ray & Baudoin Interior Design, 169 Racine. This beautiful documentary will be available at area booksellers and through ArtsMemphis. ArtsMemphis currently is taking preorders for the book at www.artsmemphis.org/book.
• Friday, October 24th: Gary Guyette of Guyette & Schmidt Inc. will be doing walk-in decoy appraisals from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Ducks Unlimited’s headquarters. He will also do appraisals by appointment only on Saturday the 25th. Call Gary at 410/924-5678 to set up an appointment.
• Saturday, October 25th, 7 p.m.: Celebration Dinner at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens. Cocktails at 7 p.m.; dinner to follow at 8 p.m. The dinner is honor of brothers Allen B. Morgan Jr. and Henry W. Morgan, native Memphians and enthusiastic supporters of both the arts and conservation efforts. Tickets are $1,000 per person; $500 per person for individuals under 30. Includes a live auction.
For more information on Conservation Through Art or any of the events, please contact ArtsMemphis at 901/578-2787 or visit
www.artsmemphis.org/cta. Proceeds from Conservation Through Art sponsorships, ticket sales, book sales, donations and auction will fund the local arts community through ArtsMemphis and habitat conservation through Ducks Unlimited. Gifts also will be made to the Dixon Gallery and Gardens and the Great Outdoors University."
Party on Memphis!
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