Renowned naturalist painter Don Whitlatch will unveil his newest work,”The Spirit,”at the West Virginia University Alumni Associations eighth annual Marmaduke H. Dent Society benefit dinner. The gala will commence with a 6:30 p.m. reception Friday, Aug. 30, at the EricksonAlumniCenter in Morgantown.


“Any new work by Don is a major event,”says Stephen L. Douglas, chief executive officer of the WVU Alumni Association,”but this painting marks a new high point in the long career of this distinguished West Virginian. The heartfelt message of Mountaineer pride comes though loud and clear.”


Whitlatch is a Parkersburg native who has been studying the local landscape for nearly 30 years, earning a national reputation. His early watercolors depicted birds and other wildlife in their natural habitat. In the early 1990s he was commissioned by American Express to paint scenes from Colonial Williamsburg. Most recently, Whitlatch has portrayed a series of famous golf courses, to much acclaim.


The artist brought his keen eye for detail to his newest work, created especially for the WVU Alumni Association. The oil-on-canvas painting depicts the iconic statue of the Mountaineer, created by sculptor Donald DeLue in 1970. In the background is the New River Gorge. The scene is suffused in summer light.


It was only after much consideration that Whitlatch settled upon the New River as an appropriate context for the Mountaineer. Traveling throughout the state, he says,”I was inspired by the idea that something that beautiful and that old was right here, right in front of our eyes.”The New River, which runs through deep canyons in the southern part of West Virginia, was formed 325 million years ago, making it one of the most ancient waterways in the world.


Whitlatch also placed two birds in flight above the Mountaineers head. These red-tailed hawks are native to West Virginia too.


For the artist, the composition is a hymn to the freedom that comes from closeness to nature. As he puts it,”We carved away a life out of this country. The ones that are really aware, they are the true Mountaineers. They know an eagle from a hawk. Thats the true Mountaineer spirit.”


The original work will be viewed for the first time at an evening of fine wines and exquisite cuisine to be attended by WVU President David C. Hardesty, Jr. and other distinguished alumni and guests.


The banquet, an annual tradition, will be prepared under the supervision of ScottCape, executive chef of the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort&Spa in Farmington, Pa.ChefCape manages the resorts nine restaurants, overseeing a team of 80 associates.


Kathryn Folio, president of North Central Distributors, Inc. of Clarksburg, will select and donate the wines with special attention to the menu. John H. Brown, Jr. and Judge Andrew MacQueen, both of Charleston, will introduce the wines and provide commentary throughout the evening. Brown is a wine columnist for The State Journal and is president and owner of Brown Communications, a public relations consultancy. MacQueen is a former KanawhaCounty circuit judge.


All proceeds from the dinner will be used to enhance alumni programming by benefiting the Marmaduke H. Dent Society endowment. Dent, who became WVU s first graduate in 1870, was a teacher, attorney and president of the state Supreme Court. He also served several terms as president of the WVU Alumni Association.


A limited edition of signed and numbered offset lithographs of”The Spirit”will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Alumni Association. The original work is slated for auction.


The WVU Alumni Association, chartered in 1873, represents more than 145,000 university graduates residing in every county in West Virginia, every state in the union and approximately 60 foreign nations. With nearly 100 registered chapters and constituent groups, the associations 26,000 dues-paying members support Homecoming Weekend, the WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni and dozens of other social and philanthropic programs.