Preserving the Wild

Two upcoming exhibitions at the Booth Western Art Booth Museum shine a spotlight on the beauty of two major national parks.

The Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, hosts two concurrent shows opening October that center on explorations of nature, specifically that of our country’s national parks. Vivid colorist Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey’s Mammals in Glacier: Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey is a 25-painting show highlighting the magnificent beasts of Montana’s Glacier National Park, while M.C. Poulsen’s major, multi-year project finds the artist painting the rarely seen backcountry waterfalls of Yellowstone in Waterfalls in Yellowstone: M.C. Poulsen. M.C. Poulsen, Swans at Fairy Falls 1, oil on canvas, 60 x 50”

“I had great fun researching this project of 25 paintings for this exhibit and wanted that ‘fun’ factor to translate into depictions of these wonderful animals that live in many of our national parks. Some are full of color and energy, [like] Big Horn Ram, and a few are more realistic, [like] Canada Lynx,” says Cawdrey. “The exhibit is meant to draw attention to climate change and preserve wild places in America for both adults and children.”M.C. Poulsen, Three Forks, oil on canvas, 22 x 30”

Poulsen has been researching the land and backcountry waterfalls of Yellowstone National Park for some 15 years, the artist estimates. He explains that in 2012 he attended a presentation on the book Yellowstone Waterfalls, conducted by authors Mike Stevens, Paul Rubinstein and Lee Whittlesley, and that ignited him further in his quest to capture the falls. “As I was sitting there watching the photos of all these waterfalls, I was pretty impressed. I decided right then and there that I’d pick 50 of the waterfalls they discovered in the backcountry [and paint them] so people could see what was in the backcountry,” he says. “Going in the backcountry of Yellowstone, you have no idea of the terrain and what’s to be expected. We found hotsprings galore, hot water features, I mean, just everything you can imagine...And you do not want to travel along stream beds or river tributaries,” he adds.M.C. Poulsen, Lost Falls, oil on canvas, 30 x 22”

Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey, Forever Glacier: Grizzly Bear (Ursus Arctos), dye on silk, 30 x 40”. Sponsored by Boots and Alan Warrick, Warrick Family Foundation.At one point down the line, PBS even got in on the action, producing a 2017 documentary titled Painting the Falls of Yellowstone. Poulsen’s goal through the entire endeavor, he says, is education. “I want to educate on the importance of the park, the importance of the conservation of water. This series was really about highlighting the importance of water—how the rest of the country [fares] is dependent on the snowfall in these high areas because it flows in all directions...Based on that, I wanted to make sure I did waterfalls that flow all year, because some dry up. That was what determined my choices for the waterfalls.” He continues, “Your project has to have a beginning, and it has to have an end, so when I complete these 50 waterfalls, that will be it.” Poulsen has completed about 30 waterfalls so far and says he’ll be spending at least three to four more years on the project. “It will be my legacy.”

Waterfalls in Yellowstone: M.C. Poulsen and Mammals in Glacier: Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey both begin October 21 and run through February 22, 2022. —

Waterfalls in Yellowstone: M.C. Poulsen & Mammals in Glacier: Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey
October 21, 2021-February 22, 2022
Booth Western Art Museum, 501 Museum Drive, Cartersville, GA 30120
(770) 387-1300, www.boothmuseum.org