Now in its fifteenth year, DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year is an internationally renowned wildlife art competition attracting entries from some of the most talented artists from across the globe, celebrating the beauty of the natural world. It also plays an important role in raising vital funds and awareness for DSWF’s ground-based conservation partners in Africa and Asia.
DSWF are incredibly grateful to the generous individuals and corporate partners who sponsor this wonderful competition, and who share its passion for utilising art as a tool to protect endangered species from extinction.
We are proud to share with you below the list of this year’s DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year sponsors.
If you are interested in becoming involved with Wildlife Artist of the Year, we have a range of corporate and individual opportunities available and would be delighted to hear from you here.
“We first fell in love with Africa on our honeymoon to Zimbabwe over 25 years ago. Supporting DSWF is very important to us as we have seen first-hand the positive impact achieved by the work of the ground-based partners and David Shepherd’s print ‘An African Landscape’ was bought as a reminder of that wonderful trip, starting a collection of many paintings over the years. We enjoy the Wildlife Artist of the Year event very much and are always keen to see what new and breath-taking work will be summitted. The Abstract World category has the opportunity to allow imagination to fly free and we are very excited to see everyone’s different interpretations.”
Amanda & Barry Butler
“BSW are delighted to sponsor this exciting category of Animal Behaviour in the DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year Competition, 2024.
Animal behaviour is often full of surprises, displaying elegant charm and beauty in some instances, tenacious bravery in others, tenderness towards each other and their progeny, as well as savage cruelty in the competition for survival. The examples are endless across the kingdoms of birds, fish, insects and all the multitude of land and water-based animals. We look forward with keen anticipation to this year’s entries from the enormous pool of talented artists whose observation and skills will reveal again some of the wonders of the natural world.“
John Belliere, Managing Director of BSW Renewable Solutions
“As a science-backed, health and wellness skincare brand we are obsessed with all things natural, and are very proud to be sponsoring The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year for the ‘Earth’s Wild Beauty’ category. We look forward to seeing the exceptional pieces of art throughout the exhibition, and support DSWF in their unwavering commitment to conservation and changing attitudes across Africa and Asia, turning the tide on species extinction.”
Sarah Baker, Founder and CEO of Opalore
“Based in the beautiful Lake District, Derwent is a fine art brand with British heritage dating back to 1832. We are delighted to be sponsoring the Environmental Artivism category for the second year – making a positive difference to our natural world through art is something we are proud to support. We have always been dedicated to caring for the environment and acting responsibly and we want to inspire artists to amplify this message using art as a force for change. We look forward to seeing the impressive works of art entered into this category and wish all artists the best of luck.“
Martina Alexander, Marketing Manager, Derwent Art
“We’re delighted to be sponsoring the Facing Extinction category for Wildlife Artist of the Year this year. We’re always keen to work with David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, their work in fighting wildlife crime, protecting endangered species and engaging local communities makes a huge difference in preventing the extinction of these iconic creatures.”
Martin & Emma Leuw
“Paul Traub Associates is delighted to again be supporting the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation by sponsoring the Wildlife Artist of the Year prize for the ‘Into the Blue’ category. We look forward to seeing the selection of amazing artworks that are shortlisted in this category, demonstrating the magical and yet fragile world of water and the precious creatures that live within it. We are extremely proud that our support will help DSWF continue their vital work protecting endangered species.“
Paul Traub, Director at Paul Traub Associates
“As a creative conservation company, and a proud corporate partner, Studio Ngong is honoured to sponsor the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year’s “Wings” category, recognizing the artists’ efforts to soar in their creativity to symbolize the urgent need to protect our precious winged wildlife. This category recognises the winged population’s vital role in maintaining biodiversity and the overall health of ecosystems. DSWF’s vision of utilizing art for conservation not only communicates the urgency of wildlife vulnerability but also inspires meaningful action by connecting people to the beauty of nature on a deeper, emotional level, fostering a collective responsibility to protect our planet for generations to come. As always, the DSWF WAY competition is an incredible showcase of art which embodies the interconnectedness of creativity and endangered species stewardship.”
Anne Thomsen, Founder of Studio Ngong
“My intention behind creating this exciting new award is to inspire artists who have never entered DSWF’s contest to take a chance on themselves. We hope those who have held back from entering will show the world their talent. In this time of great anxiety, new artists might hold back when they see the level of talent that prize-winning artists in this competition have developed. Be confident in your work, we see amazing artists every day that should enter this contest.”
Michelle Lee Howk
“I am delighted that Elizabeth Hosking is generously donating the prize for the most notable watercolour entry. There is a freshness about watercolour that is unrivalled by any other medium. The white paper and liveliness of a watercolour artwork has immense appeal. This means they always sell very well at the Wildlife Artist of the Year exhibition and are often very affordable, partly because they can be relatively quick to create, but more so because traditionally watercolours have been a more reasonably priced art source”
Hazel Soan, Watercolourist & Wildlife Artist of the Year Judge
Dr Sally Bulgin
Interested in sponsoring Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024?
