About the Artist, Rochelle Mason

 
Founded:
RMFA Traveling Exhibits & Fine Art
R. Mason Fine Arts
Focus on Nature ®
Arts for the Animals
Gecko Gallery 

Rochelle Mason has been painting animals professionally since 1980 and in 1990 began focusing her career on endangered species.  She is especially passionate about representing less-romantic animals that get little public attention. Rochelle’s mission to raise awareness about endangered species through art is accomplished by creating numerous traveling art exhibits featured primarily in natural history museums and by writing the weekly column “Focus on Nature: Insight into the Lives of Animals” for various publications across the US.

Current exhibition

Focus on Nature: Wildcats of the World
May-July ‘12      World Forestry Center; Portland, OR
Sept-Oct ‘10      Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure; Salina, KS
Nov ‘08             Bern Natural History Museum; Bern, Switzerland
Oct-Dec ‘07       Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History; Pacific Grove, CA
Sept ‘07            Oxford University Museum of Natural History; Oxford, England  
July ‘07             Feline Conservation Federation; Dallas, Texas       

Solo Exhibitions

Untitled
June-July '99     Animal Art Gallery; Menlo Park, CA  

Hawaii’s Endangered Species
Nov-Dec '95      Volcano Art Center Gallery; Volcano, HI
Sept-Oct '95     Kaua’i Museum; Lihue, HI
May-Aug '95      Lyman Museum; Hilo, HI
Mar-Apr '95       Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens; Honolulu, HI 
Dec ‘94-Mar ‘95  Bishop Museum; Honolulu, HI

California’s Endangered Species
July-Sept '94     Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History; Pacific Grove, CA
Oct-Jan ‘94       San Diego Natural History Museum; San Diego, CA
Aug-Oct '93       Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge; Newark, CA
May-July '93      Yosemite Museum; Yosemite National Park, CA

Northern California/Bay Area Endangered Species 
Nov-Feb ‘93       Coastal Gallery; Half Moon Bay, CA
Sept-Oct "92     San Francisco International Airport; San Francisco, CA
June-Aug '92      Big Basin Redwoods State Park; Boulder Creek, CA and
                       Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park; Felton, CA
May-June '92     Coyote Point Museum; San Mateo, CA
Mar-Apr '92        Lindsay Wildlife Museum; Walnut Creek, CA
Jan-Feb '92        Point Reyes National Seashore; Point Reyes, CA
Nov ‘91-Jan ‘92   State Capitol Building; Sacramento, CA
  
Group Exhibitions

May-July '06      Mayor’s Office Invitational, East Hawaii Cultural Center; Hilo, HI  Juried
April '06            All Hawaii Juried Show, East Hawaii Cultural Center; Hilo, HI Juried    
October '05       Wildlife Conservation Network Annual Expo; Foothill College, Los Altos, CA    
Nov '03             All Hawaii Juried Show, East Hawaii Cultural Center; Hilo, HI  Juried  
June-Dec '95      Beauty and Biology: Butterflies and Moths in Art and Science, Bell Museum of Natural History; Minneapolis, MN  Juried
Sept '91            University Art Show, Pacific Art League of Palo Alto; Palo Alto, CA  Juried

Public Collections

Wildlife Conservation Research Unit; Abingdon, England

Private Collections    

Dr. Toshihiko Tsutsui; Tokyo, Japan
Kennon Hudson; Monte Sereno, CA
Patricia Adkins, Pleasanton; CA
Jesse and Mindy Rogers; Atherton, CA
John and Dee Black; Tryon, NC
Charles and Linda Chlubna; Half Moon Bay, CA
Diane Terry; Roseville, CA

Selected Publications and Publicity

"Wildkatzen dieser Welt", Schweizer Familie Magazine, Bern, Switzerland Mar 2009
“Natures Way”, Wildlife Art Magazine, Mar/Apr 2006
Gwen O’Neill, “Arts and Entertainment”, Coast Views Magazine, Half Moon Bay, CA, Nov 2005
Stacy Trevenon, “Spotlighting Species on the Brink”, Half Moon Bay Review, Half Moon Bay, CA, June 10, 1998
“Bay Area Artists Capture Pets on Canvas”, San Francisco Chronicle, November 12, 1997
Art contribution, Wildlife Art Magazine, Mar/Apr 1996
Marilyn Panofsky, “Artist of the Month”, Coast Views Magazine, Half Moon Bay, CA, Dec 1995
“Educating with art”, Hawaii Tribune Herald, Hilo, HI, May 10, 1995
Japanese Beach Press, March 24-April 6, 1995
Windward Sun Press, Kaneohe, HI, March 16-22, 1995
“Hawaii’s Endangered Species”, The Honolulu Advertiser, Honolulu, HI, December 16, 1994
Margye Neswitz, “Social Scene”, Monterey County Herald, Monterey, CA, August 2, 1994
Julius Friedman, “Saving Animals with Art”, Monterey County Herald, July 15, 1994
“Art News”, The Carmel Pine Cone, Carmel, CA, July 14 and 28, 1994
Coastside Journal, Half Moon Bay, CA, Dec 8, 1993
“Museum exhibits Endangered Species”, San Diego Sentinel, October 21, 1993
“Montage”, San Mateo County Times, San Mateo, CA, May 6, 1992
Monica Hayde, “Peninsula Names & Faces”, The Times Tribune, San Mateo, CA, April 24, 1992
Kathleen Donnelly, “Man’s Best Friend”, Palo Alto Weekly, Palo Alto, CA, March 23, 1988

Grants and Awards

1995  Artist-in-Residence Grant; Volcano Art Center, Volcano, HI
1993  Grant to Individual Artists;  Peninsula Community Foundation, San Mateo, CA
1991  Third Prize. University Art Show, Pacific Art League of Palo Alto; Palo Alto, CA  
  
Lectures and Public Speaking

2007  Lecture, Feline Conservation Federation; Dallas, TX
1995  Interview, KWXX Radio; Hilo, HI
1995  Interview, ABC Radio Australia; Victoria, Australia
1995  Lecture, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park; Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI
1991  Lecture, State Capitol Building; Sacramento, CA

Education

Associates of Applied Science, Veterinary Technology, Purdue University, 1978

Born in Chicago, IL