Cincinnati Art Museum to Present its First Full-Scale Exhibition of Works by Charley Harper this Fall

Opening October 16, 2026, and on view through March 7, 2027, The Art of Charley Harper: Creatures Wild and Tame will feature approximately 150 works by Cincinnati’s beloved mid-century modern artist, designer, illustrator, and nature advocate.

“This exhibition celebrates everything we love about Charley Harper,” says Julie Aronson, PhD, curator of American paintings, sculpture, and drawings at CAM, “providing fresh insight into his joyful artistry.”

The exhibition will include a variety of Harper’s works, including original paintings created for the now-iconic National Park Service poster series, returning to Cincinnati for the first time since completion. In addition, three paintings will be on loan from the Everglades National Park’s collection, illustrating the diverse flora and fauna of the complex Florida ecosystem. There will also be maquettes and drawings offering behind-the-scenes looks at Harper’s working processes, as well as screen prints, acrylic paintings, watercolors, and more on view.

In conjunction, the Taft Museum of Art will present the first solo museum exhibition devoted to innovative artist Edie McKee Harper, Charley Harper’s lifelong creative partner. Edie McKee Harper: Modernist at Play will be on view October 17, 2026, through January 24, 2027. These exhibitions are presented in partnership with the Charley Harper Art Studio.

The Art of Charley Harper: Creatures Wild and Tame is presented by P&G. The exhibition is funded in part by the Wyeth Foundation for American Art and the America 250-Ohio Commission. Views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of the America 250-Ohio Commission.

For more information visit cincinnatiartmuseum.org

Image: Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007), Impala in the Grass (Daytime), circa 1961, gouache on illustration board, Cincinnati Art Museum; Museum Purchase: Bequest of Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Wichgar, 2008.17 © Charley Harper, all rights reserved