“Autumn Dance 2,” by Mary Jane Volkmann


Mary Jane Volkmann painting the Tuscawilla Prairie

The Six Artists Six Prairie group (http://sixartistssixprairies.blogspot.com) includes Steve Andrews, Linda Blondheim, Charles Dickinson, Mary Jane Volkman, and Scott Hiestand. Jackie Schindehette was a member of the group when it got its name but is no longer a member.  Each of the artists regularly posts comments and photographs on the group’s blog, along with a list of retail business and corporations providing sponsorship. The site also links to a map locating the six prairies near Gainesville and Ocala.

“Railroad Bridge,” by Charles Dickinson, 2011, oil, 12 x 24

“Payne’s Prairie in the Morning Mist,” by Mary Jane Volkmann

The artists have partnered with a couple of active conservation organizations on an event at the Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) on February 25, 2012 at the Prairie Creek Lodge in Gainsville. During the program which will be ACT’s keynote event of the year, the six artists will be painting on location, interacting with the public, and displaying all the prairie paintings they created over the past year. Those paintings will be available for sale, and a percentage of the proceeds will be donated to ACT to support their important and signal work in preserving the environment, acquiring natural lands, and creating awareness about the importance of conservation.