Peaceable Kingdom invites artists to investigate our storied and rich relationship with the animal world. The exhibition will explore the ways in which animals have been a presence in the visual arts as metaphors, totems, objects of fear, and sources of emotional attachment and affection. The history of human and animal interaction is filled with tales of love, unusual friendships, failed domestication, and fearsome predators. From Kipling’s ferocious Shere Khan to the early imperial menageries, human fascination with the animal kingdom has run the gamut from emotional connection, to economic exploitation, and even scientific curiosity. Throughout all of these interactions, however, the sense of wonder we feel when we encounter animal life has been an enduring theme that has informed their continual and abiding presence in the visual arts. Peaceable Kingdom encourages artists to meditate on these complex and diverse relationships, addressing such issues as antagonism, admiration, attachment, and even the politically charged issue of animal rights.