From Roundup to Rescue: Wild Horse Photojournalism Exhibit & Talk

An evening of powerful photography and conversation exploring Colorado's wild horses, their lives, and the impact of roundups. Join artists, advocates, legislators, and animal welfare educators at D’art Gallery in Denver for an evening exploring the lives of Colorado’s wild horses — from life on the range, through roundup and removal, to rescue and sanctuary — and the role photography can play in making their stories visible. For more than five years, We Animals contributor Scott Wilson of PhotoAdvocacy has documented wild horses across Colorado. His work begins not with the helicopter, but with the horses themselves: their lives, relationships, families, and place on the landscape before they are captured. His photographs then follow them through the roundup process and into the often unseen chapters that follow removal. This special artist’s talk will explore how photojournalism can become a form of advocacy — using visual evidence to bring hidden animal stories into public view and help audiences see individual animals within a much larger policy and management system. Wilson will discuss the crucial role of organizations such as We Animals, the world’s leading animal photojournalism agency, in documenting what happens to animals behind the scenes and giving those stories a platform far beyond the places where they occur. The story does not end when the helicopters leave. The evening will also explore what happens to horses after removal, and the important role sanctuaries such as Skydog play in providing safety, care, and a second chance to displaced animals. The evening will feature photojournalistic images from Colorado wild horse roundups between 2021 and 2026, alongside a 44-inch framed photograph of Ocean, a wild horse rescued by Skydog after experiencing abuse in the sale authority system. Wilson will be joined by fellow We Animals photojournalist Diana Hulet, who will share her perspective on documenting a roundup for the first time. Members of the Colorado State Legislature and faculty from the University of Denver’s new Animals Forward Executive Certificate are also invited to join the conversation, bringing perspectives on animal policy and educating the next generation of animal advocates. At its heart, the evening asks what changes when we stop seeing wild horses, or any animals, simply as numbers, populations, or management problems — and begin to see the individuals, their lives, and the consequences of the decisions made about them. Artist’s Talk: Friday, November 13, 2026, at 6:30 PM (Doors at 6 PM) Exhibition: October 22 – November 15, 2026 Location: D’art Gallery, Denver, Colorado The exhibition and artist’s talk are presented as part of Wilson’s ongoing PhotoAdvocacy work, using photography not simply to document what happens to animals, but to help move their stories from observation toward awareness, accountability, and action. Admission is free. Registration is highly encouraged. Donations to support We Animals photojournalism are welcome but not required. About We Animals We Animals is a nonprofit animal photojournalism organization dedicated to documenting the lives of animals around the world. Through powerful photography and filmmaking, we bring visibility to animals whose stories often go unseen. Working with a global network of photographers and filmmakers, we document the relationships between humans and animals and make our growing library of more than 40,000 images and videos freely available to advocates, organizations, and the media. Our mission is to inspire compassion, inform change, and contribute to a world where animals are seen and treated as individuals worthy of care and respect. Learn more at weanimals.org. About PhotoAdvocacy Colorado-based conservation photographer Scott Wilson believes photography and photojournalism play key roles in supporting causes and communities we believe in. Through PhotoAdvocacy, he has built a platform to advocate for wild horses in the American West, celebrating the special place they hold in the country's natural landscape and raising awareness of the challenges they face. A landscape photographer for 20 years, Scott refocused his lens on Colorado’s wildlife after a prolonged battle with stage 4 cancer, leading to the life-changing discovery of a remote and mesmerizing herd in Sand Wash Basin, near the Wyoming border. An impending roundup threatened the herd's future and helped Scott find his purpose as a PhotoAdvocate. Since then, he has campaigned for better outcomes for wild horses, both behind and in front of the lens. Scott is a contributor to We Animals, the world’s first animal photojournalism agency, and supports wild horse sanctuaries, including Skydog in Oregon. His photograph Anger Management, a statement piece about the conservation challenges facing wild horses in the American West, earned the Natural World and Wildlife and Open Photographer of the Year awards at the Sony World Photography Awards, raising awareness of wild horse issues in more than 140 countries. Scott is committed to supporting the next generation of photo advocates and is currently working with the University of Denver’s Animal Law program to develop a new Executive Certificate for animal advocates. Learn more at photoadvocacy.org.