Art a path to conservation

Dunedin-based artist Clare Reilly is celebrating her 50th year of exhibiting with a practice that merges vibrant depictions of New Zealand’s native flora and fauna with active environmental advocacy. Her work, which frequently features birds in flight as symbols of spiritual uplift, serves as both a tribute to the natural world and a warning about habitat loss. Through her career, she has collaborated with her late husband Max Podstolski under the Primitive Bird Group banner and participated in hands-on conservation efforts, such as the tūī relocation project to Banks Peninsula.

Reilly’s career demonstrates a successful model of art-driven philanthropy, where the commercial success of her paintings directly funds conservation projects. By licensing her imagery for calendars, cards, and prints, she has disseminated over a million images globally, raising awareness for New Zealand's ecological crises, such as the impact of invasive species on Stewart Island and the Subantarctic Islands. Her practice highlights the role of the artist as a witness and financial supporter of environmental preservation.