Painting for Conservation
Starting January 2025, the Valley Zoo Development Society is proud to host artist Misty Ring for an extraordinary year-long project at the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Misty will create 16-19 life-sized paintings of Canadian wildlife, with a special focus on Albertan species. This unique endeavor highlights the importance of conservation, with 56% of the chosen animals classified as threatened, 50% found at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, and 44% featured on the Conservation Carousel. Each brushstroke tells a story of resilience, biodiversity, and the need for collective action to protect our natural world.
Visitors will soon have the chance to watch Misty bring these magnificent creatures to life in the Conservation Corner, located in the Saito Centre. Stay tuned for details on her painting schedule, the species she’ll be depicting, and interactive activities that will complement the project. Once completed, Misty’s works will be available for purchase, with 30% of the proceeds benefiting The Valley Zoo Development Society and conservation organizations.
About the Artist
Misty’s life has always been shaped by her passion for art, animals, and nature. Growing up in British Columbia’s rugged interior, she was surrounded by mountains, lakes, and rivers that ignited her creative spirit. In 2006, she moved to Alberta, where the vast prairie sky became her new source of inspiration. A pivotal moment in her childhood was volunteering at the Kamloops Wildlife Park, where she helped bottle-feed an orphaned whitetail deer—a memory that deepened her love for wildlife and conservation.
From a young age, Misty was drawn to art, with animals, particularly cats, featuring prominently in her early works. She initially focused on graphite, mastering the beauty of form and detail, before expanding into painting. Today, her primary medium is oil, though her 2020 Skyscape Collection showcased her versatility in watercolour. While known for her skyscapes, Misty’s love for animals continues to guide her artistic path, urging her to merge her passions.
Her upcoming Painting for Conservation marks the beginning of her journey toward using art as a tool for animal conservation. Through this collection, she seeks to raise awareness about wildlife and the need for preservation, creating works that highlight the stories of those who cannot speak for themselves.
Misty’s artistic mission goes beyond aesthetics; she aims to provide a sense of peace and reflection. Whether capturing the grandeur of the sky or the vulnerability of wildlife, her art invites viewers to pause and consider the deeper narratives that connect us all.
With a Visual Arts Certificate, an Arts & Cultural Management Diploma, and an Honors Bachelor of Arts in the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture from the University of Alberta, Misty hopes to also pursue a Masters in Art Conservation. Her dedication to both art and conservation reflects her commitment to making a lasting impact on the world around her.
Animals Included in the Project
List of potential animals for Painting for Conservation life-size paintings (not in order of to be painted, and there could be smaller studies or paintings added)
Red Fox 1 Trouble - Complete - Currently Part of Journeys and Transitions at Gallery@501
Red Fox 2 Mischief - Complete (at Conservation Station studio)
Swift Fox Quiet Bonds - Complete (at Conservation Station studio)
Arctic Fox (Featured on the Conservation Carousel) - 28% complete (at Ortona Studio)
North American River Otter (At Zoo)
Peregrine Falcon (At Zoo)
Canada Lynx (At Zoo and Featured on the Conservation Carousel)
Reindeer (At Zoo)
Northern Leopard Frog (At Zoo) - 5% complete (Ortona Studio)
Little Brown Bat - 5% complete (Ortona Studio)
Northern Bat - 5% complete (Ortona Studio)
Piping Plover
Prairie Rattlesnake
Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Featured on the Conservation Carousel)
Burrowing Owl (At Zoo)
Great Horned Owl (Featured on the Conservation Carousel)
Great Grey Owl (Featured on the Conservation Carousel)
Snowy Owl (At Zoo and Featured on the Conservation Carousel)
Mallard (Featured on the Conservation Carousel)
Arctic Wolf (At Zoo and Featured on the Conservation Carousel)
Events
April 2025
01 6pm MDT: First release of available original paintings
03 Planting with Pollinators
5-7pm in the Conservation Cafe, Plaza, Edmonton Valley Zoo
19 10-1130am: Book Club - Wilder
20 10-4pm: Zoo in Bloom
21 10-4pm: Zoo in Bloom
25 Wild Times Blog came out
May 2025
01 Squirrels (I can't make it to this one but I highly recommend it)
5-7pm in the Conservation Cafe, Plaza, Edmonton Valley Zoo
01 6pm MDT: Release of available originals from Painting for Conservation Collection
26 Adopt an Animal Appreciation Tea
1-4pm: For those who have adopted an animal in 2024.
I will have a special painting created for a silent auction at this event.
Purchase a $50 or $75 Adopt an Animal package before the year's end for an invite to the 2026 invite list. All proceeds from Adopt An Animal purchases directly fund enrichments for the animals at our Zoo.
June 2025
01 6pm MDT: Release of available originals from Painting for Conservation Collection
05 Caribou
5-7pm in the Conservation Cafe, Plaza, Edmonton Valley Zoo
21 ZooBrew at the Edmonton Valley Zoo
I will be creating specialized event-specific paintings on-site.
July 2025
01 6pm MDT: Release of available originals from Painting for Conservation Collection
5-7pm in the Conservation Cafe, Plaza, Edmonton Valley Zoo
19 ZooBrew at the Edmonton Valley Zoo
I will be creating specialized event-specific paintings on-site.
August 2025
01 6pm MDT: Release of available originals from Painting for Conservation Collection
5-7pm in the Conservation Cafe, Plaza, Edmonton Valley Zoo
22 ZooBrew at the Edmonton Valley Zoo
I will be creating specialized event-specific paintings on-site.
September 2025
01 6pm MDT: Release of available originals from Painting for Conservation Collection
04 Conservation Partner Spotlight
5-7pm in the Conservation Cafe, Plaza, Edmonton Valley Zoo
October 2025
01 6pm MDT: Release of available originals from Painting for Conservation Collection
5-7pm in the Conservation Cafe, Plaza, Edmonton Valley Zoo
November 2025
01 6pm MDT: Release of available originals from Painting for Conservation Collection
06 Polar Bears (I can't make it to this one, but I highly recommend it)
5-7pm in the Conservation Cafe, Plaza, Edmonton Valley Zoo
TBD Painting for Conservation Exhibition Starts
December 2025
1-31 Painting for Conservation Exhibition Runs
January 2026
TBD Painting for Conservation Exhibition Closes
Conservation Themed Book Club
Many of these books are accessible via the Edmonton Public Library (including the Libby app via audiobook and ebook format). If you are outside of alberta check our your local library for services offered.
February 2025 - The Sixth Extinction (10th Anniversary Edition): An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert but the 2015 version is perfectly fine; confirmed
March 2025 - Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future by Gloria Dickie; confirmed
April 2025 - Wilder by Millie Kerr; confirmed
May 2025 - The Secret Lives of Bats: My Adventures with the World's Most Misunderstood Mammals by Merlin Tuttle; confirmed
June 2025 - Streams of Consequence: Dispatches from the Conservation World by Lorne Fitch; confirmed
July 2025 - Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains by Bethany Brookshire, tentative
August 2025 - American Wolf: A True Story of Survival and Obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee; confirmed
September 2025 - The Rights of Nature: A Legal Revolution that Could Save the World by David R. Boyd; tentative
October 2025 - The Snow Leopard Project and Other Adventures in Warzone Conservation by Alex Dehgan; confirmed
November 2025 - The Hidden World of the Fox by Adele Brand (wasn't going to be on the list but due to the renewed fight in the UK to reverse the twenty-year fox-hunting ban I've added it); confirmed
December 2025 - TBD
The meeting is offered in a hybrid format: on Zoom as well as in the Otter Room of the EdVenture Lodge at the Edmonton Valley Zoo.
It will always be held on the last Sunday of the month at 10am unless scheduled otherwise.