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Painting for Conservation

Starting January 2025, the Valley Zoo Development Society is proud to host artist Misty Ring for an extraordinary year-long project at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Misty will create 16-19 life-sized paintings of Canadian wildlife, with a special focus on Albertan species. This unique endeavor highlights the importance of conservation, with 56% of the chosen animals classified as threatened, 50% found at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, and 44% featured on the Conservation Carousel. Each brushstroke tells a story of resilience, biodiversity, and the need for collective action to protect our natural world.

 

Visitors will soon have the chance to watch Misty bring these magnificent creatures to life in the Conservation Corner, located in the Saito Centre. Stay tuned for details on her painting schedule, the species she’ll be depicting, and interactive activities that will complement the project. Once completed, Misty’s works will be available for purchase, with 30% of the proceeds benefiting The Valley Zoo Development Society and conservation organizations.

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About the Artist

Misty’s life has always been shaped by her passion for art, animals, and nature. Growing up in British Columbia’s rugged interior, she was surrounded by mountains, lakes, and rivers that ignited her creative spirit. In 2006, she moved to Alberta, where the vast prairie sky became her new source of inspiration. A pivotal moment in her childhood was volunteering at the Kamloops Wildlife Park, where she helped bottle-feed an orphaned whitetail deer—a memory that deepened her love for wildlife and conservation.

 

From a young age, Misty was drawn to art, with animals, particularly cats, featuring prominently in her early works. She initially focused on graphite, mastering the beauty of form and detail, before expanding into painting. Today, her primary medium is oil, though her 2020 Skyscape Collection showcased her versatility in watercolour. While known for her skyscapes, Misty’s love for animals continues to guide her artistic path, urging her to merge her passions.

 

Her upcoming Painting for Conservation marks the beginning of her journey toward using art as a tool for animal conservation. Through this collection, she seeks to raise awareness about wildlife and the need for preservation, creating works that highlight the stories of those who cannot speak for themselves.

 

Misty’s artistic mission goes beyond aesthetics; she aims to provide a sense of peace and reflection. Whether capturing the grandeur of the sky or the vulnerability of wildlife, her art invites viewers to pause and consider the deeper narratives that connect us all.

 

With a Visual Arts Certificate, an Arts & Cultural Management Diploma, and an Honors Bachelor of Arts in the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture from the University of Alberta, Misty hopes to also pursue a Masters in Art Conservation. Her dedication to both art and conservation reflects her commitment to making a lasting impact on the world around her.

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Animals Included in the Project

List of potential animals for Painting for Conservation life-size paintings (not in order of to be painted, and there could be smaller studies or paintings added)

Red Fox 1 Trouble - Complete - Currently Part of Journeys and Transitions at Gallery@501

Red Fox 2 Mischief -  Complete (in Conservation Station, Zoo)

Swift Fox  Quiet Bonds - Complete (in Conservation Station, Zoo)

Mallard (Featured on the Conservation Carousel) - 30% complete 

Arctic Fox (Featured on the Conservation Carousel) - 83% complete 

North American River Otter (At Zoo) 

Peregrine Falcon (At Zoo)

Canada Lynx (At Zoo/Featured on Conservation Carousel) - 32% done Conservation Station

Reindeer (At Zoo)

Northern Leopard Frog (At Zoo) - 25% complete 

Little Brown Bat - 25% complete 

Northern Bat - 25% complete 

Piping Plover

Prairie Rattlesnake

Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

Burrowing Owl (At Zoo)

Great Horned Owl (Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

Great Grey Owl (Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

Snowy Owl (At Zoo and Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

Arctic Wolf (At Zoo and Featured on the Conservation Carousel)

Events

August 2025

​01   6pm MDT: Release of available originals from Painting for Conservation Collection

07   Invasive Species

        5-7pm in the Conservation Cafe, Plaza, Edmonton Valley Zoo

22   ZooBrew at the Edmonton Valley Zoo

        I will be painting plein air in the zoo

31  Conservation Themed Book Club: American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee

September 2025

​01   6pm MDT: Release of available originals from Painting for Conservation Collection

04   Conservation Partner Spotlight

         5-7pm in the Conservation Cafe, Plaza, Edmonton Valley Zoo

28  Conservation Themed Book Club: The Rights of Nature: A Legal Revolution that Could Save the World by David R. Boyd; tentative

October 2025

​01   6pm MDT: Release of available originals from Painting for Conservation Collection

02   Migratory Birds

        5-7pm in the Conservation Cafe, Plaza, Edmonton Valley Zoo

26  Conservation Themed Book Club: The Snow Leopard Project and Other Adventures in Warzone Conservation by Alex Dehgan

November 2025

​01   6pm MDT: Release of available originals from Painting for Conservation Collection

06   Polar Bears (I can't make it to this one, but I highly recommend it)

         5-7pm in the Conservation Cafe, Plaza, Edmonton Valley Zoo

TBD Painting for Conservation Exhibition Starts

30  Conservation Themed Book Club: The Hidden World of the Fox by Adele Brand

December 2025

1-31 Painting for Conservation Exhibition Runs

28  Conservation Themed Book Club: Hope  by Jane Goodall and David 

January 2026

TBD Painting for Conservation Exhibition Closes

Conservation Themed Book Club

Painting for Conservation

Book Club Sign Up Form

Many of these books are accessible via the Edmonton Public Library (including the Libby app via audiobook and ebook format). If you are outside of alberta check our your local library for services offered.

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February 2025 - The Sixth Extinction (10th Anniversary Edition): An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert 

March 2025 - Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future by Gloria Dickie

April 2025 - Wilder by Millie Kerr

May 2025 - The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World's Most Misunderstood Mammals by Merlin Tuttle

June 2025 - Streams of Consequence: Dispatches from the Conservation World by Lorne Fitch

July 2025 -  Path of the Puma by Jim Williams

August 2025 - American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee

September 2025 - The Hidden World of the Fox by Adele Brand

October 2025 - The Snow Leopard Project and Other Adventures in Warzone Conservation by Alex Dehgan

November 2025 -​ TBD

December 2025 - Hope by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams

The meeting is offered in a hybrid format: on Zoom as well as in the Otter Room of the EdVenture Lodge at the Edmonton Valley Zoo.

It will always be held on the last Sunday of the month at 10am unless scheduled otherwise.

Honourable Mentions:

  • Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villians by Bethany Brookshire

  • An African Love Story: Love, Life, and Elephants by Daphne Sheldrick 

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