New Museum Director’s Choice Initiative at the National Museum of Wildlife Art

The National Museum of Wildlife Art (NMWA) announces a new initiative, the Director’s Choice. Each quarter, the Museum Director, Steve Seamons, will select a painting from the Museum’s permanent collection to be installed at the entrance of the Museum’s galleries. An artwork from storage will be selected and rotated every three months. This initiative will allow visitors to see something new on each visit.

The idea came directly from Seamons in an effort to get more of the Museum’s extensive collection of over 5,000 cataloged items on view. “Selecting a painting for this first installation was challenging,” Seamons says. “The Museum has so many incredible artworks. I selected Rock Chuck Rock by Nancy Glazier after much consideration.” The painting depicts marmots basking in the sun. Seamons remarks, “Glazier captured the two marmots beautifully as they lounge about enjoying a sunny day in their natural habitat.” Marmots are prevalent around the Museum and are often some of the first wildlife to emerge after a long winter. They are a popular attraction among both NMWA visitors and staff.

The Museum acquired Rock Chuck Rock in 1994 as a gift from the JKM Collection®. Since 2003, it has been displayed in four of NMWA’s exhibitions, and it was last on view in 2018. The Museum has three paintings by Glazier in its permanent collection: Rock Chuck Rock, The Young Ones, and Stormy.

At eight years old, Nancy Glazier began painting with oils and sold her first painting at 12. At age 16, her family moved to Cody, Wyoming, on the edge of Yellowstone National Park. She studied basic painting techniques with Adolf Sphor, the Cody Museum muralist. Glazier began supporting herself with the sale of her paintings at the age of 18. She strives to depict all the characteristics of a landscape, such as the chill of winter, the fresh smell of pine, or the soft light of dusk, as she creates a relationship between this environment and the animal. Glazier says, “I choose to put all the detail in the faces of the animals I paint because my emphasis is on portraying the mood and the moment in that particular animal’s life. I strive to capture that animal on that day in a certain light and in a certain circumstance. Each animal I paint is unique.”

This Director’s Choice will be on view for the next three months. “I invite each of you to come and enjoy this painting,” Seamons says. “Please share your thoughts about your experience with any staff member. We hope to see you soon here at the Museum!”

The Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April. From May to October, the Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nancy Glazier (United States, b. 1947), Rock Chuck Rock, 1994. Oil on canvas. 24 x 34 inches. JKM Collection®, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Nancy Glazier.