10/14/2026
Real World Vs Charley Harper: Featuring the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden!
Beloved artist Charley Harper studied, lived, and worked right here in Cincinnati most of his life, which meant he—like all Cincinnatians—had access to a world-class institution and resource: the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens. To celebrate the opening of The Art of Charley Harper: Creatures Wild and Tame, we asked the Cincinnati Zoo for pics of some of their residents. Here’s the real deal and Harper’s vision, side-by-side!
See these works—and more—in person starting this Friday, October 16! More at cincy.art/harper.
The Art of Charley Harper: Creatures Wild & Tame is organized by the Cincinnati Art Museum in partnership with the Charley Harper Art Studio and presented by Procter & Gamble.
Photos courtesy of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, taken by Mark Dumont (Otter), Lisa Hubbard (Hippos), DJJAM Photo (Cheetah), Michelle Peters (Giraffes), and Erica J. Hill (Eagle).
Works:
- Otter: Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007), A Sand Dollar Is First on a Sea Otter's Menu. Next Comes a Starfish, Then a Sea Urchin (later titled Otterly Delicious), 1968, acrylic on canvas, Collection of Brett Harper, © Charley Harper, all rights reserved
- Hippos: Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007), A Baby Hippo Riding on His Mother's Back Is Safe from the Cruising Crocodile, 1968, gouache on illustration board, Collection of Brett Harper, © Charley Harper, all rights reserved
- Cheetah: Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007), Who's the Fastest? (On Land), probably 1977, acrylic on artist board, Collection of Brett Harper, © Charley Harper, all rights reserved
- Giraffes: Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007), Love from Above, 1976, acrylic on canvas, Collection of Brett Harper, © Charley Harper, all rights reserved
- Eagle: Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007), The Alpine Northwest, circa 1988, acrylic on canvas mounted on board, Courtesy of the National Park Service, Harpers Ferry Center © Charley Harper, all rights reserved
- Racoons: Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007), Raccpack, 1975, acrylic and possibly ink on canvas mounted on plywood, Cincinnati Art Museum; Bequest of Virginia W. Brooks, 2021.143, © Charley Harper, all rights reserved
