The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

The Chestnut Group, an alliance of Middle Tennessee landscape artists, will hold an exhibit and sale of their paintings of the Duck River region in downtown Columbia to support The Nature Conservancy’s conservation work on the river.

The show will be take place May 18-19, 2012, in the Parish Hall of the historic St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Columbia. There is no cost to view the exhibit. The paintings celebrate the scenic beauty of this Middle Tennessee treasure, which also happens to be North America’s richest river in varieties of animal life. 

For the Duck River exhibit, plein air artists from The Chestnut Group have spent several months painting outdoors along the Duck River, drawing inspiration from nature. Plein air, a French term meaning “open air,” refers to artists who create their landscape paintings on location. More than 200 paintings are expected to be displayed and on sale. Forty-five percent of the proceeds from the sale of paintings at the event will support The Nature Conservancy’s Duck River Program. Since the Chestnut Group’s founding in 2001, it has raised over $100,000 to support local environmental causes.

 “Our partnership with The Nature Conservancy not only helps us share the beauty of the Duck River watershed area with our viewing public, it allows us to directly contribute to the preservation of the river and all of the life that it supports,” said Andrea Jones of The Chestnut Group.  “When someone makes a purchase of fine art from The Chestnut Group, a generous portion of the purchase price goes directly to our partnering agency, in this case, The Nature Conservancy.  They do such good work within all areas that flow to the Duck River.”

Winding 272 miles through Middle Tennessee, the Duck River is one of the state’s most scenic waterways.  It is the sole water source for more than 250,000 Tennesseans, and its water quality is crucial not only for humans but also for the animals and the economy of the region.  Underneath its surface, the Duck River teems with an almost unsurpassed variety of animal life, including 151 species of fish, 55 freshwater mussel species, and many other forms of aquatic life. In fact, the Duck River contains more species of fish than all the rivers of Europe combined and has more species of fish per mile than any other river in North America. In 2010, National Geographic featured the Duck River as one of the most biologically rich places on Earth.
 
Since 1999, The Nature Conservancy’s Duck River Program, which is based in Columbia, has been working with local communities, businesses and government agencies on long-term protection of the river’s water quality and ecological integrity.  Initiatives have included stabilization of eroding stream banks, creation of “smart growth” guidelines for developers, assistance in developing Columbia’s Riverwalk greenway and relocation programs for endangered species of mussels.

Hours for the art show and sale
Friday, May 18: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 19: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

To obtain digital artwork and photos, or to arrange interviews with Chestnut Group representatives and Nature Conservancy staff, please contact Paul Kingsbury: 615-383-9909, pkingsbury@tnc.org.