Renowned equestrian artist Jan Lukens has immortalized last year’s $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals champion Lillie Keenan on canvas. This beautiful piece is also the artwork for the 2012 Derby Finals poster which is now available at the shop USHJA web site.
There will be two offerings of this unique colorful poster; shopUSHJA.com with unsigned copies available for $10 each and a signed, limited edition version of the poster will also be offered at $20 each. Limited to only 200, the signed posters will feature the signatures of both the artist Jan Lukens and the winner of the 2011 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals, Lillie Keenan.
The posters will also be available for purchase at the USHJA headquarters in the Kentucky Horse Park and at the USHJA booth during the 2012 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals August 17 and 18, 2012.
Based in Greensboro, NC, Lukens has created an oil rendering of Lillie and mount C Coast Z jumping in last year’s event, which will be on display in the lobby of the USHJA headquarters during the Derby Finals. Lukens was awarded a painting exhibition at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC in 1991 after taking top honors in a national portrait competition. This success fueled his decision to leave an illustrious advertising career behind for a life in the fine arts, something the artist has never regretted. His work has been featured on the covers of The Chronicle of the Horse, in the pages of The Artists’ magazine, The Equine Image, Ink, and many other notable publications.
USHJA feels very fortunate to have Jan Lukens artwork as the focal point of the 2012 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals poster.
“I have known Jan Lukens for over 30 years, since my time living and teaching in North Carolina and we actually have one of his prints here in the office. He contacted me in early February to tell me that the National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, VA added one of his equestrian portraits to their permanent collection on January 31st. And to quote Jan: “This is the painter’s equivalent of a musician winning a Grammy. “ I followed up with email congratulations and commissioned a portrait of my dog. He mentioned that he would love to do a painting for us of last year’s winner for the Derby prize list cover and that we could create a poster from it to benefit the Derby program. Needless to say we jumped at the opportunity. He and Lillie Keenan have very graciously agreed to sign a number of the posters that we will have for sale, making those even a more special memento of the Derby.” Shelby French, CEO of USHJA said.
Visit the USHJA web site for more information about the 2012 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals August 17 and 18 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. To grab your own 2012 Finals poster be sure to check out shopUSHJA.com and to learn more about equestrian artist Jan Lukens’ work visit www.janlukens.com .
