Selected Artist: WALTER MATIA

Sculptor and painter Walter Matia was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Educated at Williams College in Massachusetts, he earned degrees in biology and art design, and received much of his formal training during a long apprenticeship in the Exhibits Department at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. After leaving the Cleveland Museum, Matia went to work for the Nature Conservancy where, for 11 years, he served as the organization's vice president in charge of land management. His work with wetland and barrier island conservation projects intensified his lifelong interest in shorebirds. In 1983 Matia co-founded Curlew Castings of Virginia and produced several shore and wading bird sculptures.

Matia's works have been exhibited in and won awards at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Southern Allegheny's Museum of Art. His works have been selected for the Leigh Yawkey Woodson "Birds in Art" show. In 1986 Matia won the Society of Animals artist's Catasus Award. He has participated in the Easton Water Fowl Festival, The Eastern Wildlife Exposition, and the 1985 Nature of the Beast Show. He recently sculpted the monumental bulls that adorn the entrance to Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, home of the newest NFL franchise, the Houston Texans.