Art that Matters to the Planet

Foreword

Roger Tory Peterson created the first modern field guide. What made it “modern” was its use of art and design to help almost anyone quickly and accurately identify birds. Today, that might not seem such a big deal. However, at the time Peterson’s A Field Guide to the Birds was published in 1934, birdwatching— or birding—was practically unknown beyond a relative handful of academics and intrepid enthusiasts.

Peterson’s publisher was dubious about the prospects for a field guide for naming birds, especially since the inclusion of artwork increased the cover price to $2.50 per copy—a prohibitively high amount of money to pay during the Great Depression.

Both Peterson and the publisher were surprised, therefore, when the first run of 2,000 copies of the field guide sold out within a week. Three additional printings sold out within the first year. Since then, across a series of updated editions, the Peterson Field Guide to Birds has sold upwards of 15 million copies worldwide.

Today, there are an estimated 70 million birders in the United States alone. Armed with their field guides, generations of birders—doing what they love to do—have collected critically important data about the health of our bird populations. Skilled, informed and passionate birders have been a reliable force of nature in protecting birds and the habitats upon which they depend for their very existence.

Peterson’s art mattered—and still matters—to the planet.

As the living embodiment of the field guide, The Roger Tory Peterson Institute is committed to nurturing the next generation of nature artists. More than ever, we need art—we need artists— to explore new ways to engage us in the beauty of the natural world, to bring into high relief the environmental challenges we face, and to inspire us to the recovery and redemption of the only world we have.

In fulfillment of this pledge, we are excited to launch Art that Matters to the Planet—our signature annual exhibition for interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary artists making work at the nexus of art + nature.

In response to our inaugural call for artists, we were thrilled to receive nearly 100 submissions. Equally amazing was the number of artists who cited Peterson as an inspiration for their passion for art and nature. This response suggests that we are just beginning to tap into a wellspring of artists who, like Peterson, are channeling their passion for the natural world through their artistry.

For this inaugural iteration of Art that Matters to the Planet, we selected 15 artists, focusing holistically on their artistic practice. Taking a deeper dive into their influences, inspirations, techniques, research, and processes invites viewers to reflect even more deeply on the relationship between art, society, and nature.

For those of you who weren’t able to experience Art that Matters to the Planet at RTPI, we hope this catalogue entices you to come visit us soon. We host three major nature exhibitions each year, anchored by Art that Matters to the Planet. Each exhibition is enriched with a range of programs, featuring artists and conservationists—often in conversation with each other—taking deep dives into the interrelation between art and nature. We sponsor a number of additional programs, including an annual Plein Air Festival and an Artist-in-Residence program, providing new, emerging and even well-established artists the opportunity to spend a week or more in the company of the largest collection of Roger Tory Peterson’s art, films, photographs and papers.

Enjoy.

Arthur Pearson, CEO Roger Tory Peterson Institute