From the Field: Revisiting Akeley's Gorillas February 9, 2011

Stephen C. Quinn, senior project manager in the Department of Exhibition, recently traveled to the eastern Congo basin to visit the exact site depicted in the Akeley Hall of African Mammals' mountain gorilla diorama. Like the artists on Carl Akeley's 1926 expedition, Quinn used field sketches and paintings to document the area's flora and fauna, recording the changes that have taken place over the last 80-plus years. In this unique event, Quinn will share finished works, including a panoramic plein air painting. Sponsored by the Artists for Conservation Foundation, this expedition and resulting artworks reinforce the important role artists play in habitat conservation and environmental education.