Jennifer Kane Landscape Painting Series
ClearWater
Conservancy has been fortunate over the past few years to develop a
strong relationship with noted local artist Jennifer Kane.
“I had admired Jennifer Kane’s work for some time and was thrilled when she offered her substantial talent to capture in an oil painting the essence of Musser Gap, a property that ClearWater had just protected with a conservation easement.”
This first original oil painting led to a commitment for an ongoing painting series commemorating ClearWater’s protected landscapes. Musser Gap was followed by the Fisher Farm, and this year a third painting will emerge from a conservation easement that ClearWater is negotiating on the very headwaters of Spring Creek.
“It
is touching to see passionate nature-lovers like Jennifer finding creative
ways to promote conservation and give of their unique talents. We are
blessed to be the recipient of Jennifer’s generous gifts.”
Each year the 30" x 40" original oil painting is raffled to benefit ClearWater Conservancy's land conservation mission. Ticket sales begin in August at the Otto's Golf-Fest and are sold at $10 each through ClearWater's January For the Love of Art & Chocolate event.
Reflections by artist, Jennifer Kane
Growing
up in a relatively diverse and undeveloped natural area, my family spent
a lot of time outdoors. My father was a conservation enthusiast and
organic gardener, which made a lasting impression. In 1999, I began
painting outside, and realized the potential to fuse my natural
interests of hiking and exploring nature with an intention to conserve
it. As a member of The Pennsylvania Centre for Landscape Painting,
formed by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, our
mission was to foster environmental stewardship through partnerships
between art, agriculture, government and environmental groups.
Working
toward a life where all the parts are intertwined—work, family, friends,
community involvement, I was already doing a lot of artwork around and
about Spring Creek and other outdoor recreation areas in the Centre
Region. ClearWater Conservancy does such an elegant job of educating
the community, promoting conservation, and taking action to conserve
life-preserving and life-enhancing resources, including our water supply
and the beauty of the Centre County wilderness. They are
forward-thinking local leaders who are shaping land use and conserving
our natural areas for the future. This was the perfect organization for
me to be closely involved with.
After donating pieces of my work for several years to ClearWater’s For the Love of Art & Chocolate art auction, which gives people an opportunity to acquire local art while supporting a great local conservation organization, I felt drawn to make even more substantial contributions through my artwork. Working with Jennifer Shuey, ClearWater’s Executive Director, I decided to create a series of large paintings, connecting them with ClearWater’s land acquisition and conservation easement projects, to be raffled for fundraising.
The first painting commemorated ClearWater’s acquisition of Musser Gap. On August 8, 2006, ClearWater Conservancy purchased the 423-acre Musser Gap for natural resource conservation. The Conservancy bought the land from a private landowner who had planned to develop the property. In early 2007, Musser Gap was incorporated into Rothrock State Forest, providing public access to its impressive network of trails, conserving important bird and wildlife habitat, and safeguarding the source of much of the Centre Region’s drinking water. ClearWater now has received some grants and is working with Penn State to connect Musser Gap to neighborhoods in Ferguson Township and State College Borough. The Musser Gap Greenway will more fully connect people with this permanently protected place.
The second painting in this series represents Fisher Farm, one of the properties that ClearWater protected last year. John and Barbara Fisher own the land that slopes up from Buffalo Run near Waddle on Buffalo Run Road in Bellefonte. By donating the development rights on 197 acres of their farm, the Fishers are giving the gift of conservation to generations yet to come.
Raffle tickets for the next painting in the series will be available for $10 by calling the ClearWater office at 237-0400 from August 31, 2009 through January 23, 2010. The money raised will fund future land acquisition projects.