The Eastern Sierra Professional Artists, a group of Carson Valley artists, have dedicated much of their time this year working on art portraying the wild mustangs of Northern Nevada.
Pastel artists Karen Aleman and Arlene Origoni, oil and pastel painters Margo Petterson and Ray Freeman and watercolorist Teri Sweeney have spent many hours observing these magnificent animals in the back country of the Pine Nut Mountains, just east of South Lake Tahoe and Carson Valley.
Wild horses have roamed the Northern Nevada mountains and foothills for as long as anyone can remember.
It is assumed that these horses are descended from herds brought over by Spanish explorers and from other domestic horses turned loose over the years.
The decline of wild horses began after World War I when "mustanging," capturing wild horses for profit, began and continued as late as the 1970s.
As development encroaches on the habitat of these animals, many are rounded up and held in adoption centers.
It is the desire of the Eastern Sierra Professional Artists that the history and heritage of these powerful and beautiful animals be preserved for future generations to appreciate.
The Eastern Sierra Professional Artists was formed in September 2005 as a critique group for professional artists in the area.
All the artists have shown in galleries and shows throughout the West and several of the members are art instructors at Artistic Viewpoints.
The group felt it needed a sounding board for not only their art, but also for building a more professional art community in the area.
The group meets once a week to critique each other's current work, take field trips to various photo locations, plan marketing strategies and talk about ways to help improve their art community.
Although Artistic Viewpoints displays an eclectic mix of art, from abstract to realistic two-dimensional and 3-D glasswork and pottery, the critique group has been limited to realism in two-dimensional mediums.
The artists felt that the group would be most advantageous to the members if the style of art were similar for all the artists.
Artistic Viewpoints Gallery and Studio will be holding a wild mustang exhibition through August.
The five artists who have been working together to raise awareness of the plight of these animals, as well as other wild mustang artists and photographers, will give a portion of the proceeds from each sale to the Let 'em Run Foundation, a not-for-profit charitable corporation founded by recording artist/songwriter Lacy J. Dalton.
Let 'em Run's goal is to set aside tracts of land to provide permanent grazing areas where wild horses can run free.
A reception will be held on Aug. 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Artistic Viewpoints Gallery and Studio, 1368 Highway 395, B, Gardnerville.
Representatives of the Let 'em Run Foundation, as well as the show artists, will be on hand to discuss wild mustangs in Nevada.
Call 783-0633 for more information.
