Exhibitions

Traveling Museum Exhibition

Thomas D. Mangelsen A LIFE IN THE WILD

Produced by David J. Wagner, L.L.C.
A retrospective of Legacy Reserve images from over 40 years of nature and wildlife photography capturing Earth’s last great wild places.

A LIFE IN THE WILD is an exhibition containing 40 of Mangelsen’s most resonant images—images that take viewers on a journey into the haunts of iconic species whose struggles for survival are metaphorical fulcrums for reflection in the 21st century.

Every single image in Mangelsen’s portfolio has been taken in the wild under natural conditions; the result of him waiting for the “picture perfect moment” across decades and often in hostile conditions. Such a body of work can only be achieved by having a heightened sense of animal behavior, an uncanny feel for being able to read changing atmospherics in the environment, and patience.

At a time when digital technology is, notoriously, reprogramming its users to have shorter attention spans, A LIFE IN THE WILD stands as a testament to the rewards that can come to people who slow down their lives and wait for nature’s revelations to happen.

“The diversity of life on this planet is a miraculous gift. What gives me the greatest joy is being able to share glimpses of it. I hope my work stands as a testament to the power of timeless beauty and as a reminder that we must not take our fellow wild creatures for granted.”

CURRENT TOUR ITINERARY

February 7 – August 31, 2025
Museum of Art - DeLand
600 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL
MoArtDeLand.org

September 21 – December 31, 2025
Museum of The Gulf Coast
700 Procter Street, Port Arthur, TX
museumofthegulfcoast.org

November 20, 2025 – January 11, 2026
Haggin Museum, 1201 N. Pershing Avenue, Stockton, CA
hagginmuseum.org

January 24 – May 3, 2026
Turtle Bay Exploration Park, 844 Sundial Bridge Drive, Redding, CA
turtlebay.org

January 29 – May 31, 2026
The Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ
phoenixzoo.org

June 20 – September 7, 2026
The Stuhr Museum, 3133 W. U.S. Hwy 34, Grand Island, NE
stuhrmuseum.org

Gentle Giant

A SAMPLING OF PAST TOUR VENUES

Great Valley Museum, Modesto, CA
mjc.edu

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Dubuque, IA
rivermuseum.com

Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, TX
briscoemuseum.org

Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, WY
centerofthewest.org

Roger Tory Peterson Institute, Jamestown, NY
rtpi.org

Sioux City Public Museum, Sioux City, IA
siouxcitymuseum.org

North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, NC
ncarboretum.org

Bateman Foundation Gallery, Victoria, BC Canada

Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum, Oradell, NJ
(Greater New York Metropolitan Area)
blauveltartmuseum.com

Quincy Art Center, Quincy, IL
quincyartcenter.org

To schedule A LIFE IN THE WILD, or further information, contact:
David J. Wagner, Ph.D., Curator/Tour Director
(414) 221-6878 | davidjwagnerllc@yahoo.com | davidjwagnerllc.com

2018 © David J. Wagner, L.L.C.
Member American Alliance of Museums and International Council of Museums

When Virtual Reality is No Match for A True Life in the Wild

by Author, Todd Wilkinson
Published by Stanford University’s Millennium Alliance for Humanity and Biosphere

In this age of superior environmental awareness, when mass media and virtual reality are ostensibly supposed to make us smarter in our knowledge of the natural world, consider this paradox: One of the most famous and widely-circulated wildlife photographs ever made is an image that most members of the Millennial generation probably assume is a product of digital manipulation…

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