The Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the endangered species' dwindling population.
The Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project (AEACP) is a 501c3 charity organization that has bases in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia. The AEACP aims to raise awareness and save the fast-shrinking number of Asian elephants in captivity and in the wild. Original works of art painted by some of the Asian elephants under the AEACP's care are perhaps what this charitable organization is best known for.
The Organization
The AEACP is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1998 by artists Melamid and Komar to give wild and domesticated elephants a safe, happy and healthy life. In addition to donations, this charity supports its efforts through the promotion and sale of original artwork created by resident elephants in one of its camps. The AEACP's stated goals include helping the efforts of habitat conservation organizations, protecting wild elephant populations and improving the welfare of domesticated elephants.
The Art
Some of the resident elephants housed in the AEACP's camps are accomplished artists. Each piece of artwork is available for purchase, with the proceeds going toward the care of the elephants and maintenance of the camps. Elephants use their trunks to create canvas paintings that range in style from colorful, abstract images to pictures that resemble flowers, trees and sunsets. Handlers and local artists work closely with elephant painters to help develop their personal style, control of their paintbrushes and understand relationships between colors.
Charity Goals
In addition to raising public awareness of the plight of elephants in Southeast Asia, the AEACP aims to ensure that domesticated elephants are properly cared for. The charity works to increase access to qualified veterinarians, train up-and-coming elephant handlers, traditionally called "pawangs" or "mahouts," and maintain the natural habitats of Asian elephants. The AEACP's claim to fame is its ongoing conceptual art project that pairs human and elephant artists to create original works of art, which serve as an alternate source of income for the charity as well as a constructive activity for old, out-of-work or disabled elephants.
Locations
The AEACP has operational camps in four countries of Southeast Asia. The Millennium Elephant Foundation, known locally as the "Elephant Bath," is in Randeniya, Hiriwadunna, Kegalle, Sri Lanka. In Cambodia, the Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center is in the Chamcarmon District of Phnom Penh. The Kandang Gajah Camp at Borobudur Temple, which is the largest Buddhist temple on earth, is located in Central Java, Indonesia. Thailand is home to four AEACP camps: the Ayutthaya Royal Elephant Kraal and Village is in Ayutthaya; the Valley of the Mool River Basin is in Surin; and the Maesa Elephant and Maetaman Elephant Camps are in Chiang Mai.
