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For the Love of Canines

October 22, 2022 - August 27, 2023

Exhibition open October 22, 2022 – August 27, 2023

Wild canines, including foxes, coyotes, and wolves, have held significant social and cultural meaning to humans worldwide throughout history. However, there are conflicted emotional opinions regarding these familiar predators.  Foxes, for example, while prized for their beauty and their cunningness, are despised for preying on smaller livestock and poultry, such as chickens and ducks. Coyotes, a canine species native to North America, nearly brought to extinction during western settlement, are also part of some Native cultures’ cosmologies. Sometimes considered a creator, Coyote might also be wicked or a buffoon. Of all wild canines, wolves have perhaps caused the most dread historically. Feared by ancient farmers to present day ranchers, wolves that at times prey on sheep, cattle, and other domestic animals, have also been known to kill humans. Alternatively, the famous Etruscan sculpture of La Lupa Capitolina (The Capitoline Wolf) from the fifth century BCE depicts a she-wolf caring for twins, Romulus and Remus, who founded city of Rome. Still, the one thing that all wild canines have common is a genetic relation to our own much beloved domestic dogs.

For the Love of Canines questions humans’ relation and fascination with canines, whether love or loathing, through works of art from NMWA’s permanent collection.

Carl Rungius (Germany, 1869 – 1959), Red Fox, 1933. Oil on canvas. 30 x 40 inches. Jackson Hole Preserve, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Estate of Carl Rungius.
Ken Carlson (United States, b. 1937), Wolf, 1988. Oil on board. 23 x 35 inches. JKM Collection®, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Ken Carlson.
George Catlin (United States, 1796 – 1872), Buffalo Hunt, White Wolves Attacking, 1848. Hand-colored lithograph. 12 x 17 3/4 inches. JKM Collection®, National Museum of Wildlife Art.
Robert Bateman (Canada, b. 1930), Mesa Verde – Coyote, 2004. Acrylic on panel. 24 x 36 inches. JKM Collection®, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Robert Bateman.
William Gollings (United States, 1878 – 1932), The Call, 1910. Oil on canvas. 14 ½ x 10 ½ inches. JKM Collection®, National Museum of Wildlife Art.
Frank Tenney Johnson (United States, 1874 – 1939), Coyote Moonrise, c. 1920. Oil on canvas. 30 x 40 inches. JKM Collection®, National Museum of Wildlife Art.
Robert F. Kuhn (United States, 1920 – 2007), Sly Fox, 1990. Acrylic on board. 8 x 14 inches. Gift of Eliza and Tom Chrystie, National Museum of Wildlife Art Collection. © Estate of Robert F. Kuhn.
Terrance Guardipee (Blackfeet, b.1968), Black Wolf Society, 2020. Oil stick on antique ledger paper. 19 x 36 inches. Gift of the 2020 Blacktail Gala, National Museum of Wildlife Art. © Terrance Guardipee.
Alfred Wierusz Kowalski (Poland, 1849 - 1915), A Pack of Wolves, n.d.. Oil on canvas. 36 1/2 x 48 5/8 inches. On Loan from William G. Kerr, National Museum of Wildlife Art.
Robert F. Kuhn (United States, 1920 – 2007), Desert Harmony. Acrylic on board. 16 x 32 inches. Gift of John and Saralynn Geraghty and the RSGBK Foundation, JKM Collection®, National Museum of Wildlife Art Collection. © Estate of Robert F. Kuhn.
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Staff Picks

Through May 10, 2026

Curating this exhibit has been an exercise in collaboration, which is one of our core values at the Museum. We began by asking each staff member to make a short list of some of their favorite works in the collection. Then, the curatorial team took them to see a few of those pieces. We asked the staff to look for artworks that were not already on display and would not be part of any upcoming exhibitions. A person’s taste in art is so uniquely personal and individual to who they are. This exhibition is not only an opportunity for you to get to know our staff, but it is also a chance to discover new pieces in the permanent collection—or perhaps to see old favorites in a new light.

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Two of a Kind?

Through April 26, 2026

This exhibition is an exercise in comparison. It invites visitors to consider pairs of artworks, drawn primarily from the Museum’s permanent collection, and contemplate the question posed by its title: are these artworks truly Two of a Kind?

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What People Are Saying
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"The most fabulous gallery that we have ever seen and enjoyed. Highlighting the plight of our animal kingdom is so important! "
— Nancy H.
"One of the most amazing museums I have ever visited. Everything—not just art, is amazing. "
— Elizabeth C.
"Phenomenal gallery! Exquisitely curated! Must-see highlight of our trip. P.S. Lunch was also delicious!"
— Jen R.
"Amazing collection of art. This is truly a special place!"
— David L.
"Absolutely incredible! We will be back!"
— Sebastian D.
"Love the variety of art, the historic documentation, and how attitudes changed and developed about wilderness and wildlife. Plus, wonderful interactive areas!"
— Bill S.
"Lunch was fab - the trout po' boy and lettuce wraps, wow!"
— Pamela Ann S.
"This is one of my happy places. I stop here every time I'm in Jackson."
— Monica M.