Fast Facts:

  • BMO Harris Bank donates nearly 900 Owen Gromme prints to Ducks Unlimited
  • Ducks Unlimited will sell the prints to support waterfowl conservation
  • Gromme was known as the lsquo;dean of U.S. wildlife artists.'

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MEMPHIS, Tennessee - Nov. 25, 2019 - BMO Harris Bank contributed nearly 900 prints of paintings by legendary Wisconsin artist Owen Gromme to Ducks Unlimited to support wetlands and waterfowl conservation.

The prints have an estimated value of $500,000 and makes BMO Harris Bank a Gold Legacy Sponsor of Ducks Unlimited.

"On behalf of BMO Harris Bank, we are very happy to make this gift to Ducks Unlimited and to support a fellow organization with deep roots in Wisconsin," said Neil Riegelman, Director of Commercial Banking, Wisconsin, BMO Harris Bank, and Ducks Unlimited Milwaukee Committee member. "We're here to boldly grow the good in business and life, so we're honored to partner with Ducks Unlimited in support of wetlands and wildlife conservation in Wisconsin."

Ducks Unlimited will use the prints to support its fundraising system, which raises money to benefit wetland areas including the Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area in Wisconsin.

Gromme was a wildlife conservation leader throughout his life. According to the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in 1994, Gromme was a native of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and spent his childhood in the marshes and forest of east-central Wisconsin. There, he surrounded himself with abundant wildlife. After serving in World War I, Gromme served as the curator of birds and mammals at the Milwaukee Public Museum.

Gromme was outspoken about conservation issues and pushed for a closed season on ducks, bag limits on geese and other environmental legislation. He worked with famed conservationist and author Aldo Leopold to influence legislation that would protect herons, hawks and owls.

His paintings have been sought after for generations. Known as the lsquo;dean of U.S. wildlife artists,' Gromme's paintings and prints can be found in waterfowl and nature enthusiasts collections across the country.

BMO Harris Bank' contribution continues its longstanding support for Ducks Unlimited's mission of wetlands and waterfowl conservation. The prints have an estimated value of approximately $500,000, and places BMO Harris Bank as a Gold Legacy Sponsor of Ducks Unlimited.

"People in Wisconsin and around the country consider him the father of wildlife art. He was the first person to do this on a significant scale," said Glenn Goergen, Ducks Unlimited Wisconsin volunteer leader. "Because of BMOs generosity, we will be able to continue the story of Owen Gromme. It's a special event."

Ducks Unlimited plans to sell numerous pieces of the artwork to supporters and through raffles at DU fundraising banquets throughout Wisconsin. For information on purchasing prints, contact Tom Munich at (262) 965-3700.

Follow DU's newest Twitter feed-@DUNews1937-to get the most up-to-date news from Ducks Unlimited.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14.5 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.

Media Contact:
Chris Sebastian
(734) 623-2017
csebastian@ducks.org
@GLARducks