Arresting images of African wildlife inspire action at new Pacific Art League show

The Pacific Art League (PAL) in Palo Alto has a long history of offering classes and exhibit space for local amateur artists, but a new show that opens on September 7th aims to move beyond appreciating art to inspiring action to make a difference.

Entitled, “Africa: The Struggle of Beauty,” the show brings world-class photographs of Africa with a narrative component curated in partnership with WildAid that will help visitors both understand the images and get involved to address the challenges facing endangered species.

photo by Teri Vershel

“While the images in the show are dramatic and beautiful, they are also often tough to see because the reality is that elephants and rhinos could face extinction during our lifetimes,” said Jon Graves, Pacific Art League’s CEO and Executive Director.

“But we also know that there are incredible minds in our community who are solving the world’s challenges through technology, and we hope this show will inspire local leaders to apply these innovative tools to conservation in Africa.”

PAL will host a gala reception to celebrate the new show from 5:30-8pm on September 7th.

Award-winning photography local and international artists

“Africa: The Struggle of Beauty” features photographs from renowned international artists such as Andrew Wegst and Sebastião Salgado, as well as local favorites Teri Vershel and Oliver Klink. The images were selected to celebrate Africa’s beauty and to highlight the tragic loss of some of the planet’s most precious wildlife.

photo by Teri Vershel

What is WildAid?

WildAid is an international nonprofit that works to supress the market for products made from endangered species by producing ads targeted at consumers who may not understand the danger of buying these items. Part of WildAid’s success comes from recruiting celebrity ambassadors who are recognized around the world to star in its ad campaigns, such as Yao Ming, Richard Branson, HRH Prince William and Lupita Nyong’O.

“I have known about WildAid for many years and really like their approach to curbing illegal animal poaching,” said Jon Graves. “By buying $200 million of airtime around the world, WildAid raises awareness for potential buyers that their purchases will have a devastating impact on these amazing animals.”

Three ways visitors can take action

Visitors to “Africa: The Struggle of Beauty” can get involved in several different ways:

Buy a photograph: The first is by purchasing one of the photographs, as the majority of sales from the PAL show will be donated to WildAid in direct support of the organization’s mission to reduce global consumption of wildlife products and to increase local support for conservation efforts.

Make a donation: The show will have easy ways to give directly to WildAid while visiting the PAL.

Spark an idea: There will be ipad stations in the gallery space where people can contribute ideas about how to use technology to aid in the protection of endangered species, and how to engage tech leaders to make a difference.

The Pacific Art League will also host several special events while the show is still on exhibit to raise awareness and engage local innovators, including a round table discussion with key stakeholders and high-profile Silicon Valley technologists.