Måns Bergendal – Scent, Award of Excellence

Lori A. Dunn – The Unseen, Award of Excellence

Cynthie Fisher – Group Hug, Award of Excellence

Sharon Fullingim – Slumber, Award of Excellence

Jeff Gandert – Hickory, Award of Excellence

Sean Murtha – Razor's Edge, Award of Excellence

Lisa Nugent – Follow Me into the Sea, Award of Excellence

Rachelle Siegrist – Nature's Incredible Water Filter, Award of Excellence

Society of Animal Artists

The Society of Animal Artists (SAA), founded in 1960, is devoted to promoting excellence in the artistic portrayal of the creatures sharing our planet, and to the education of the public through art exhibitions, informative seminars, lectures, and teaching demonstrations.  The SAA’s membership, past and present, represents a veritable who’s who of artists from around the world. 

Featured Images are 2023 Art and the Animal Award of Excellence Winners
The SAA is a 501c3 Organization

The Society of Animal Artists is an organization comprised of members who produce the best animal art in the world. The mission of the Society of Animal Artists is to promote excellence in the portrayal of domesticated and wild animals in art. The upshot of this nexus of talent and mission is that artworks created by members of the Society of Animal Artists have established new standards of excellence in fine art and that the Annual Exhibition of the Society of Animal Artists and its traveling exhibition, Art and the Animal, have become the standard by which all others are measured.

The Society of Animal Artists has a historical affinity with organizations that grew out of a movement to form associations and clubs dedicated to art in the 19th century. Like the National Academy of Design and other such organizations, the Society of Animal Artists is mandated by its bylaws to organize annual exhibitions to ensure new, strong, and fresh artwork and afford its members ample display opportunities.

It is also worth noting that the Society of Animal Artists was founded in response to an exhibition entitled Animals in Bronx Zoo, held at Burr Galleries in New York, because this established a historical affinity with the conservation movement, which various members have supported ever since, not only through the ecological message of their artworks but also through generous contributions from sales to support conservation causes. David J. Wagner, Ph.D., SAA Emeritus Tour Director and Author, American Wildlife Art