A heartfelt thank-you to the wildlife artists who answered TWS’s open call

# Why TWS launched the open call

Society invited artists to share work that connects people to wildlife and conservation. The goal was straightforward: capture the variety of ways members and supporters express care for wildlife through creative work.

# What arrived

Responses exceeded expectations. Submissions numbered in the hundreds and included: needlepoints, stained glass, photography, paintings, sculptures, carvings, sketches, ceramics, poetry, cartoons and more. The pieces depict a mix of backyard animals and globally recognizable species, offering visual and textual perspectives on wildlife.

A specific credited work—featuring transformed wings that preserve both a bird and the memory of a first hunt—lists Ashley Fazekas, Kailey Meacham, Victor Pineiro, Morgan Boyer and Morgan Wright as contributors. That piece is an example of submissions that pair craft with personal narrative.

# The stories behind the art

Many contributors attached stories to their art. Those stories fall into two practical categories:

• Personal-memory pieces: artwork intended to preserve an experience or relationship tied to a species or place. The wings piece is one such example.
• Conservation-messaging pieces: art that communicates human responsibilities, ethical questions, or calls for stewardship.

Some contributors used the call as their first public sharing of art. Their participation widened the Society's creative pool and introduced fresh perspectives.

# Why this matters to TWS now

TWS is marking its 90th anniversary. The collection of art is positioned as a tribute to that history—emphasizing the people who sustain wildlife work through passion, craft and storytelling. The Society frames the collection as aligned with the legacy of conservation figures cited in the piece, and as part of conference programming for 2026.

# What to expect at the Annual Conference

Conference. Attendees will be able to view the range of media and read the accompanying stories. The exhibit is meant to connect conference-goers to both the emotional and practical dimensions of conservation work.

# Practical takeaways for readers and practitioners

• Open calls produce diversity: inviting submissions without strict media limits brought in traditional and nontraditional forms, increasing inclusivity.
• Document and preserve context: several pieces were meaningful because they tied a species to a concrete human experience—those captions and stories add interpretive value for viewers.

The Society publicly thanked all contributors for sharing creativity and stories, and invited readers to view the full collection online and at the Annual Conference. The article presenting this roundup was authored by Cameron J. Kovach and published as part of TWS News.