Meet Our Sponsors
Now in its fifteenth year, DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year in association with BBC Wildlife, 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 and raising vital funds and awareness for DSWF’s ground-based conservation partners.
Since its inception in 2008, Wildlife Artist of the Year has raised over £1.2 million for conservation, and has become one of the most noteworthy events in the art calendar. This prestigious competition would simply not happen without the generous support of our sponsors and corporate partners who are vital in making this competition and exhibition a success year on year.
There are a range of promotional opportunities and benefits to being a sponsor of DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year. If you are interested in sponsoring our 2023 competition to make a difference for wildlife, please contact us at – [email protected] or call our team on 01483 272323. We would be delighted to hear from you.
Please find below a list of this year’s DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year 2022 sponsors and corporate partners.
DSWF Wildlife Artist of the Year 2022 Sponsors
- Animal Behaviour Gary Hodges
- Earth’s Wild Beauty Moore Barlow LLP
- Facing Extinction Martin & Emma Leuw
- Human Impact Generously sponsored by a friend of DSWF
- Into the Blue Paul Traub Associates
- Urban Wildlife Opportunity for 2023 sponsorship
- Wings Silver Surfers (Martin & Sally Lock)
Awards
- BBC Wildlife People’s Choice Award BBC Wildlife
- Elizabeth Hosking Prize for Watercolour Elizabeth Hosking
- The Artist Editor’s Choice Award The Artist Magazine
- The Michelle Lee Howk ‘First Time Entrants Award’ Michelle & Jason Howk
BBC Wildlife
BBC Wildlife is a celebration of the natural world, inspiring people with the sheer wonder and beauty of nature, helping them understand and appreciate the truly amazing world around us. Packed with fascinating and informative features written by experts, and illustrated with award-winning photography, BBC Wildlife and DiscoverWildlife.com are essential for anyone with a passion for wildlife.
“BBC Wildlife is thrilled to be part of this prestigious competition. It’s a privilege to support such a wealth of hugely talented artists, as well as the great conservation projects the competition feeds into.”
Paul McGuinness, Editor BBC Wildlife
Neil and June Covey
Proud sponsors of the Overall Winner prize and the Runner up prize
“We have been involved with and supported DSWF for some 35 years. We know the whole family personally and always appreciate and respect the way they operate their Charity and maintain personal contact. It was a wonderful opportunity and privilege for June and I to sponsor first prize at WAY from its inception. It magnifies what our contribution can do for wildlife and brings together artists and conservationists in a wonderful way.”
Neil & June Covey
Moore Barlow
Proud sponsors of the Earth’s Wild Beauty
We are a progressive, people-oriented law firm, focused on delivering exceptional services for private individuals and families, and for entrepreneurial businesses and organisations. We help businesses thrive over the long-term and support private individuals and families to protect and transfer their wealth. We understand the challenges and complexities you may be facing, whether in business or in life – and we focus on getting you to a better place, calmly and sensitively
“At Moore Barlow we believe people are better at whatever it is they’re doing when they care more. That’s true of our lawyers, it’s true of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and it’s certainly true of the artists seeking to capture Earth’s Wild Beauty, which is why we’re proud to be sponsoring this category”
Edward Whittington, Moore Barlow LLP Managing Partner
The Artist Magazine
Proud providers of The Artist Editor’s Choice Award
“We are delighted to return for another year to support David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s international and acclaimed ‘Wildlife Artist of the Year’ competition. The Artist magazine aims to support and showcase a wide range of committed artists, and is always amazed by the incredible work exhibited at this exhibition, making every year that much harder to select a winner for The Artist Editors Choice Award’.”
Gary Hodges
Proud sponsor of Animal Behaviour.
Wildlife artist, Gary Hodges has been drawing practically all his life, and has focused his passion on portraying animals in monochrome since 1979. During that time, he has won numerous awards and published over 135 different limited edition prints from his art, with all but 10 recent editions completely selling out. Gary became a friend and strong supporter of DSWF in 1991 and an enthusiastic judge on their Wildlife Artist of the Year competition since its inception in 2008.
“Animal behaviour is such a wide sweeping category and I absolutely love how each selected artist portrays this in their own unique way. I love all wildlife and the Animal Behaviour category can encompass all of them as created by the many hugely talented artists entering this fabulous, long-running DSWF competition”
Gary Hodges
Human Impact Award In memory of Ingrid Beazley
Generously supported by a friend of DSWF
“Ingrid helped paint a better picture for humanity, and this award only adds to her legacy for having supported young artists.“
Says Human Impact category Judge, Martin Aveling
Martin & Emma Leuw
Proud sponsors of Facing Extinction
“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
Silversurfers
Silversurfers is the UK’s largest online community for the young at heart over 50’s with over one and a half million members and Facebook followers. Silversurfers offers members a wide variety of entertainment, enjoyment and friendship members and our Facebook page is one of the most active and engaged community pages in the UK.
“Silversurfers are proud to be supporting the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) by sponsoring the ‘Wings’ category for their prestigious Wildlife Artist of the Year competition, and have done so for the past 8 years. The competition and exhibition showcases some of the best wildlife art from around the world and we are looking forward to seeing artist submissions featuring the extraordinary variety of winged wildlife. As a long term supporter of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation we are delighted to be involved, helping to protect endangered wildlife across Asia and Africa.”
Martin & Sally Lock
Paul Traub Associates
Proud sponsors of Into the Blue
Paul Traub Associates is an independent Human Factors, User Centered Design and Safety Assessment Consultancy. We have worked with a number of blue chip clients and Government departments and have been established for over 13 years. We offer a niche service that is based upon ethics and integrity.
“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
Elizabeth Hosking
Proud sponsor of the Elizabeth Hosking Prize for Watercolour
“I have a great love of Africa and also a love of art. My natural response to the wild is photography which has become a passion. I collect art, particularly watercolours, which is why I want to encourage and support this medium. I have tried my hand at it and realise it isn’t nearly as easy as my great friend, the artist Hazel Soan, makes it look! I have supported David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation for many years and knew David too. They do tremendous work in conservation and now, more than ever, this is such vital work if we want our endangered wild animals to survive for generations to come.”
Elizabeth Hosking
Michelle & Jason Howk
Proud sponsors of the Michelle Lee Howk ‘First Time Entrants Award’
Michelle and Jason live in North Carolina USA and love domestic animals and wildlife. Michelle is a long-time multi-medium artist and calligrapher who enjoys travel, learning new arts, and being outside. Jason is an award-winning writer and professor and has recently been inspired by DSWF artists to pick up a paint brush. They have lived all across America during Jason’s Army career and enjoyed nature and wildlife from coast to coast.
“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