Local artist Robin Zefers Clark is spending 30 days in the Roger Tory Peterson Institute preserve creating a painting a day. Submitted photo

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute announced the launch of a new artist-in-residence program.

Local artist Robin Zefers Clark is spending 30 days in the RTPI preserve creating a painting a day inspired by the beauty she discovers there.

RTPI’s 27-acre preserve includes towering hemlock trees, pollinator meadows and a pond – all of which are anchored by the iconic museum building, designed by famed architect, Robert A.M. Stern.

“The artist residency is a wonderful opportunity to become artistically immersed in the environment,” Robin said, “finding hidden visual treasures, around and within the Roger Tory Peterson Institute.”

As a young boy, Roger Tory Peterson immersed himself in the natural beauty of the entire Jamestown area, inspiring him to his future career as one of the world’s greatest artist-naturalists.

“Robin embodies the spirit of Roger Tory Peterson,” said Arthur Pearson, the Roger Tory Peterson Institute’s new CEO. “Inspired by nature, she uses her skills as an artist to help us see our own landscape with fresh eyes.”

Visitors to RTPI during the next month should be on the lookout for Robin – she’s likely to be found somewhere in the preserve with her canvas and paints. Or, you might find her leading a series of sold-out watercolor workshops.

For those who want to follow Zefers Clark’s progress during her 30-day immersion in our preserve, they can visit RTPI’s Facebook page. At the conclusion of her residency, RTPI will host an exhibition of all 30 of Zefers Clark’s paintings.

Robin Zefers Clark holds a bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Buffalo State College, and a masters degree from Rochester Institute of Technology, with a major in oil painting and intensive work in graphic design and photographic studies.

Zefers Clark has had several solo and group exhibitions and has been featured in articles in Country Woman Magazine, The Buffalo News, and Focus.

Her work has won numerous awards and is featured in private collections throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. Zefers Clark lives in the Allegany mountains of western New York state, where she owns and operates Brookside Studio.

More information about Robin Zefers Clark and her work can be found on her website at brooksidestudio.com.