John Salz, Local Artist, Contributes Quirky Work to Brookfield Zoo Charity Event

John Salz, a Chicago native and surrealist painter, has chosen to gift a giclee of his quirky, off-kilter painting, "Yin & Yang" to the Brookfield Zoo's annual HOWL Event. John has said that philanthropy, specifically causes that preserve nature and its wildlife, is a hugely important part of his life and is excited to contribute his talent to the charity event.

"Yin & Yang" the donated painting, depicts a realistic giraffe discovering his plush peer on the savannah. John and his team recently visited Brookfield Zoo to pay a visit to the lively herd of giraffes. John had the opportunity to give Arnieta, the pictured giraffe, a snack after gaining her approval on the giraffe-centric painting. John and the herd seemed to see eye-to-eye on the idea (which is often hard to do with a giraffe without a step-ladder).

The HOWL (Helping Our WildLife) event will take place this Saturday, September 18, 2021 and John's painting will be available for auction both in-person at the event and online through the HOWL event's website. The funds raised will benefit the Chicago Zoological Society's cause of preserving wildlife.

As a true Chicagoan, John's history of visiting Brookfield Zoo as a child inspired his collaboration with the Chicago Zoological Society. He plans to continue his contribution to the Brookfield Zoo's cause, saying that he hopes "that contributing to the HOWL event becomes a yearly opportunity."

The trip to the zoo even prompted John to discuss his next Animal Kingdom painting: A lion and his plush pal! You could say he's "up to his neck" in ideas for his next painting. When discussing making the animal-themed art into a series of paintings, John explained that the growing idea has legs (even if they aren't six feet tall).

"Yin & Yang" and John's other quirky works are available on his online art gallery, www.salzpaintings.com.