Hillsdale, Michigan– February 2026 — Hillsdale College hosted a two-day program on Art and the Sporting Tradition Feb. 6-7. The program, presented by Hillsdale’s Art Department and Nimrod Education Center, featured an exhibit of wildlife art by Bob Kuhn (1920-2007), a collection of wildfowl decoys, and presentations by distinguished artists and leaders in hunting and conservation.
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“In different ways, art, hunting, and conservation have the power to inspire us with beauty and connect us with our heritage and with nature,” said Al Stewart, director of the Nimrod Education Center. “Wildlife art — from Duck Stamps to decoys — invites us into the beauty of nature and the joy of conservation.”
Shane Newell, collections curator for Hillsdale College’s Blake Center for Faith and Freedom, spoke on “The Origins of American Wildfowl Decoys and Collecting Decoys Today.”
“Decoys as a traditional and valuable art form are a recent enlightenment,” Newell said. “The origins of wildfowl decoys, born from the need for self-reliance, created through Native American ingenuity, carved into American life and culture, invite you to be lured by taking care of a decoy and honoring the legend.”
Tim Shinabarger, award-winning American sculptor and painter, spoke on “Artists of the Boone and Crockett Club.” Shinabarger then took program attendees on a walkthrough of Hillsdale’s Daughtrey Art Gallery, where art by Boone and Crockett Club Member Bob Kuhn is on display until Sunday, March 22.
Adam Grimm, a wildlife painter and three-time winner of the federal duck stamp competition, spoke on “Winning the Federal Duck Stamp Contest.”
“One of my goals with my art is to get people to look closer at nature,” Grimm said. “That’s kind of my goal with painting and with trying to capture those details, because I find that when I take the time to paint it into a painting, people look closer — because, I think, they can’t believe I actually spent the time to paint it in there. But it’s actually there in real life. And when you look at a bird in hand up close, and you look at how detailed they’re made and how perfect and the patterning on the feathers, it really is spectacular to see.”
The program concluded with a panel on art and conservation featuring Brian Shaw, artist/teacher of art at Hillsdale and winner of the 2022 Michigan Department of Natural Resources deer patch design contest; Pat Gregory ’80, an Illinois River decoy carver; Corey Lucas, founder and CEO of Cedar Run Decoys; and Chris Smith, a professional artist, author, and six-time winner of the Michigan Duck Stamp contest.
About the Nimrod Education Center
Hillsdale College’s Nimrod Education Center was established in 2021 through a gift from Alan Taylor, founder and president of the Nimrod Society. The Center educates Hillsdale College students and the general public about the societal benefits of hunting and fishing. The Center’s activities include academic courses on wildlife management, educational programs and conferences, and scholarships for Hillsdale College students with experience in hunting and fishing. The Center takes its name from the biblical account of Nimrod, the founder of several ancient cities who was known as “a mighty hunter before the Lord” (Genesis 10:8-12). For more information, visit hillsdale.edu/educational-outreach/nimrod-education-center/. To sign up for the Nimrod Education Center’s email newsletter, click here.
About Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College is an independent, nonsectarian, Christian liberal arts college located in southern Michigan. Founded in 1844, the College has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 7.3 million. For more information, visit hillsdale.edu.
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