UPDATE: The Federation Gallery has selected another painting for the annual 2024 Animal Exhibition
EXHIBITION: January 30 to February 18, 2024
The original painting called “Escarpment Cougar on Alert” (15” x 20”) highlights the reemergence of the Cougar in southern Ontario’s rural areas. They are considered be very rare in this region of Canada. According to Nature Canada (October 13, 2023), the Eastern or North American cougar (Puma) was classified as an endangered species in 1978 by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
There are over one hundred submitted works of art selected for inclusion in this live exhibition at the Federation Gallery on Granville Island in Vancouver, including this painting by Harvey Bodach. Paintings will also appear online with both the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA) website and this one. A Virtual gallery is also available for the viewer to experience as they move through the gallery.
This is a juried exhibition with the painting being sold exclusively through the Federation Gallery which serves all members of the FCA. The exhibit runs from January 30 to February 18, 2024. Federation Gallery, 1241 Cartwright St. Vancouver, BC V6H 4B7. Go to artists.ca and or call (604-681-8534).
“Escarpment Cougar on Alert”
The Cougar goes by many names, including mountain lion and puma because of its extensive geographic range in North America. You will find them in a variety of habitats, including coniferous and tropical forests, grasslands and even desserts. With increased urbanization, the cougar disappeared long ago in Ontario, but in the last few years they have appeared once again along the Niagara Escarpment which confirms that a west to east migration pattern is happening.
Sitting upright and alert on an escarpment rock, this Cougar scans the terrain waiting to strike. Secretive and largely solitary by nature, cougars hunt during the day and night. They are perceptive cats, skilled hunters which stalk their prey or lay in ambush, preferring habitats with dense underbrush and rocky outcrops.
Being the second largest of the wild cats on this continent next to the Jaguar it commands a special respect. They have great agility, a result of muscular hind legs which are far larger than their front legs giving them tremendous jumping power.