'Wild Wonders of Europe' Conservation Photography Exhibition Opens at National Museum of Wildlife Art, 9/28

Direct from Europe's often overlooked "wild side," the "Wild Wonders of Europe" photography exhibition, which has been attracting crowds from Beijing to Berlin, will get its U.S. debut at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The largest conservation photography and communications initiative ever, "Wild Wonders of Europe" presents an astonishing view of the continent's landscapes, flora and fauna, as captured by some of Europe's best nature photographers. Opening September 28 in the National Museum of Wildlife Art's King Gallery, the exhibition will continue through January 5, 2014.

"'Wild Wonders of Europe' is such an eye-opener because we don't typically equate wildlife with Europe. I tend to think about Roman ruins or great cathedrals, but not wilderness areas teeming with wild creatures," says Adam Duncan Harris, Petersen Curator of Art & Research for the National Museum of Wildlife Art. "The main point of the exhibit is to help change that perception and get people to see that there are ibex, musk ox, bears, red deer, and wolves, for instance, in really surprising places."

Organized by European nature photographers Staffan Widstrand, Florian Möllers, and Magnus Lundgren and sustainable ecotourism specialist Bridget Wijnberg, the "Wild Wonders of Europe" exhibit features the best of 200,000 images shot by 69 world-class photographers on 133 missions to 48 countries throughout Europe, portraying more than 50 national parks and 1,000 animal and plant species. The powerful photographs showcase the rich and little known natural beauty of Europe, its diverse wildlife and wild places, as well as positive conservation success stories.

"There are various ongoing efforts to 'rewild' Europe and to add more space for more animals. This exhibit helps raise awareness of those efforts as it presents some stunning photographs of creatures whose populations are hopefully on the upswing," adds Harris, who will introduce the exhibition at the National Museum of Wildlife Art on Friday, September 27 in a "sneak peek" event.

"We want to celebrate that nature conservation works. We just need much more of it, and more kinds of it," says Staffan Widstrand, Managing Director of Wild Wonders of Europe. "We also want to celebrate the good news that almost nobody knows about: there is a strong wildlife comeback in Europe that is the result of a shift in attitude over the past 30 years. We wanted to bring this news into the limelight."

The "Wild Wonders of Europe" exhibition at the National Museum of Wildlife Art is organized by The WILD Foundation (wild.org), The Murie Center (muriecenter.org), and Wild Wonders of Europe (wild-wonders.com), and hosted in conjunction with the 10th World Wilderness Conference (WILD10) in Salamanca, Spain.

Company Information: A member of the Association of Art Museum Directors and the Museums West consortium and accredited by the American Association of Museums, the museum, officially designated the National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States by an act of Congress in 2008, provides an exciting calendar of exhibitions from its permanent collection and changing exhibitions from around the globe. A complete schedule of exhibitions and events is available online at http://www.wildlifeart.org. The museum is also active on Facebook and on Twitter at @WildlifeArtJH.

Media Contacts: Darla Worden, WordenGroup Strategic Public Relations, 307.734.5335, darla(at)wordenpr(dot)com; Ponteir Sackrey, National Museum of Wildlife Art, 307.732.5444, psackrey(at)wildlifeart(dot)org; Bridget Wijnberg, Wild Wonders of Europe, + 44 7972 106839, bridget(at)wild-wonders(dot)com; Staffan Widstrand, Wild Wonders of Europe, +46-70 657 33 24, staffan(at)wild-wonders(dot)com