Warhol's Endangered Species Focus of COD's David Ouelette Talk Sept. 7

he McAninch Arts Center (MAC), located at 425 W. Fawell on the College of DuPage campus, welcomes COD Associate Art History Professor David Ouellette for a discussion about the development of Andy Warhol’s “Endangered Species” series and where the featured species stand today. The series is on view at the WARHOL exhibition at the Cleve Carney Museum of Art now through Sept. 10. Titled “Vanishing Species: Art and Biodiversity Since Warhol,” the free lecture will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7 in MAC Room 140.

In 1983, Andy Warhol was commissioned to produce a series of 10 dynamic, multicolor prints of endangered animals to mark the 10-year anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. Today, the destruction of habitat and loss of biodiversity remain the greatest challenges facing the planet and its many inhabitants, both human and nonhuman. In his talk, Ouellette will discuss Warhol’s lifelong love of animals, the development of the “Endangered Species” portfolio and the history of the 10 featured species since 1983. The species include the bald eagle, black rhinoceros, African elephant, orangutan, Grévy's zebra, bighorn ram, giant panda, pine barrens tree frog, San Francisco silverspot butterfly and the Siberian tiger.

Tickets to Ouellette’s lecture are free but reservations are recommended. The lecture is part of a series of programming aimed at enriching the WARHOL exhibition experience. The final program will take place Sept. 9 and is a “Meet-and-Greet" with award-winning children’s illustrator and artist, Mike Venezia, who has created artwork for the Kids Pop Art Print Factory of the exhibition. For the full schedule and more information, visit Warhol2023.org or call the MAC at 630.942.4000.