| "New England native, Lucia deLeiris, has twice received grants from the National Science Foundation that enable artists as well as scientists to participate in the US Antarctic program. Ms. deLeiris began her career as an artist in 1978 when she branched out from her background in zoology to illustrate a book about deer conservation. During her first trip to Antarctica in 1985, she spent four months at Palmer Station illustrating the Natural History of the Antarctic Peninsula, written by Sanford Moss. She returned to Antarctica in 1995 to spend the austral spring near McMurdo Station continuing to paint and sketch Antarctic wildlife." |  |
| "Antarctica is an area one and a half times the
size of the United States. Primarily ice, and often in
darkness, this extreme and isolated environment has
challenged and defeated many of humankind's attempts to
explore and claim it. International treaties prevent
ownership of the frozen continent by any one country,
leaving it the exclusive domain of a population of
unusual animals. Man has established, here, only a most
tenuous toehold." "But for an artist it is the light, the Antarctic light, that impels creative expression and drives one to face the demands of this indifferent land. And the light, that compels one to return." "Exploring the Antarctic Landscape" presented 37 of deLeiris's paintings of the frozen continent, drawn from her two expeditions and subsequent recollections. It also presents a vivid window on the extraordinary vistas of what Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton referred to as the "Great Loneliness." "deLeiris has painted seascapes along the coasts, and traveled extensively abroad, recording her experience in paintings and drawings. These have appeared in solo and group exhibitions. She has illustrated several books on natural history and articles in publications, including Smithsonian, National Geographic Traveler, Ocean Realm, Cruising World Magazine. deLeiris has been awarded three grants by the National Science Foundation to paint in Antarctica under the auspices of the agency's "Antarctic Writers and Artists Program." "Having spent a total of ten months in Antarctica, she illustrated the book Natural History of the Antarctic Peninsula (Moss, '88), took part in field expeditions painting the frozen landscape for exhibitions, and is currently illlustrating a book on the antarctic marine life." |
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| "deLeiris was awarded a Smithsonian research
grant for study at the Smithsonian National Zoological
Park Conservation Center in Virginia. Her work there
culminated in 12 illustration plates for the book, The
Biology and Management of and Extinct Species, Pere
David's Deer, (Beck and Wemmer, '83), as well as an
animated introduction for the Smithsonian National Zoo
film, The Last Chance, (Skrentny/Ames
Productions, '79.)" "Solo exhibitions include: -- National Science Foundation, Washington, DC: Exploring the Antarctic Landscape, Paintings by Lucia deLeiris 1998 --Harvard University Museum of Cultural and Natural History, Cambridge, MA: Exploring the Antarctic Landscape, Paintings by Lucia deLeiris, 1998. Cited and illustrated in The New York TImes, May 12, 1998. --Happy White Gallery, Barrington, RI: The Frozen Continent: A Painter in Antarctica, 1997 --Newport Art Museum, Newport, RI: Painting in Antarctica, 1997, and Antarctic Summer, 1987. --Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC: Antarctic Summer, 1986." |
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deLeiris Website URL: http://www.luciadeleiris.com
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