Although naturalist, preservationist and nationally renowned wildlife artist Ray Harm is a native of West Virginia, he’s best known for his work in this state. With the help of Louisville businessman and art collector Wood Hannah Sr., along with the old Louisville Times, WHAS radio and Milton Metz, among others, his drawing and painting career flourished here. As he puts it, “My whole life came out of Kentucky.”
In the early 1960s Harm and Hannah founded Frame House Gallery Publishing Inc., and the concept of the limited-edition print was born – a concept that supports thousands of artists today. Harm’s accomplishments include five honorary doctorate degrees, being named Kentucky Man of the Year in 1964, creating a series of bald eagles commissioned by President John F. Kennedy and serving as artist in residence at the University of Kentucky.
At 78, he’s still sketching and painting from his home in Arizona, and says, “My favorite picture isn’t finished; it’s always the next one, because it’s a new challenge.” The sales from his latest series, a painting of a male and female cardinal on a blossoming dogwood tree, will benefit U of L’s James Graham Brown Cancer Center and Alumni Association. There are 500 prints of the scene at $125 each available through the Alumni Association.
Harm will be in town for a lecture at the Bon Air Regional Library and signings at various locations May 11-13. For more information on the prints, the artist or his upcoming visit, call the Alumni Association at 852-6186, visit www.rayharm.com or call the Bon Air branch at 574-1795.
— Katie Brown
