A VISUAL LANGUAGE SPEAKING FOR THE CLIMATE, NATURE AND HER WILD CREATURES
ART INTO ACRES COLLABORATION
UNITING ART AND TROPICAL FOREST CONSERVATION
A unique collaboration in which the sale of a single painting will help secure the permanent protection of 730,000 hectares of intact tropical forest in Suriname.
The initiative forms the centrepiece of Milner’s solo exhibition Gardeners of Eden at Noon Powell Fine Art, Richmond, London, opening on 18 September – 4 October 2026.
In a special collaboration with artist and land conservationist Haley Mellin and Art into Acres, Milner’s painting entitled The Hidden and the Revealed will help to support the permanent protection of Suriname's intact tropical forests. These are ancient ecosystems that have never been logged and date back an estimated 80–90 million years. Claire Milner and her London gallery Noon Powell Fine Art will donate all proceeds from the sale of the painting, amplified by generous matching funds from Art into Acres conservation partners Re:wild, Zangrillo Family Foundation and One Small Planet in order to complete the community-led protection of 730,000 hectares of Suriname’s tropical forest, supporting the work of the Saamaka people.
Art into Acres is an artist-founded nonprofit established by Haley Mellin in 2017 that transforms donated artworks into permanent protection for the world's most important ecosystems. Working with Indigenous communities, conservation organisations and philanthropic partners, the initiative helps create new National Parks, Indigenous Protected Areas and wildlife corridors. Through a unique matched-funding model, every artwork sold generates an amplified conservation impact, contributing to the protection of millions of acres of biodiversity-rich wilderness.
THE HIDDEN AND THE REVEALED
“Claire’s work has an extraordinary ability to draw viewers into the natural world through closer observation and discovery. We are proud to present Gardeners of Eden and to support a collaboration that demonstrates how art can inspire meaningful action beyond gallery walls.”
The painting was inspired by Suriname's landmark 2025 commitment to permanently protect 90% of its forest cover, amounting to approximately 15 million hectares of tropical rainforest. Suriname is the world's most forested country by percentage of land area, with around 93% forest cover and this commitment represents one of the most significant conservation pledges of its kind. Suriname absorbs more carbon than it emits, making it an important natural carbon sink and a vital ally in addressing climate change.
“Claire’s work reminds us that art can do more than depict the beauty of the natural world—it can help protect it. By directing the sale of this painting toward the permanent protection of Suriname’s tropical forests under Saamaka leadership, this collaboration demonstrates how artists, galleries, collectors, and conservation organizations can work together to create lasting environmental impact.”
The Hidden and the Revealed celebrates the extraordinary biodiversity of Suriname's verdant tropical forests, depicting a thriving ecosystem where plants and animals exist in delicate balance. Hidden amongst the foliage under the backdrop of Suriname’s Mount Voltzberg are native species including the Pale-throated Sloth, Guianan Red Howler Monkey, South American Tapir, Jaguar, White-throated Toucan, and the Great Kiskadee, Suriname's national bird. Through layers of concealment and revelation, the work invites viewers to discover the remarkable richness and interconnectedness of this incredibly important part of the Amazon biome.
DETAIL OF GREAT KISKADEE
Image Matt Foster Re:wild
Image Imad Elbouaisi - Art into Acres
“The Saamaka community conserved areas are an extraordinary contribution to the planet because they protect irreplaceable treasures: one of the world’s great living cultures and the forests, rivers, and biodiversity that have sustained it for generations. Supporting Saamaka leadership and communities is not only an investment in conservation; it is an investment in one of the most distinctive and remarkable manifestations of human culture in the world.”
“Art has long responded to the defining questions of its time. My work begins with nature, not only as a source of imagery but as something to which art can remain physically and ethically connected. The paintings I create allow my practice to extend beyond the studio, contributing to the conservation of the landscapes and wildlife that inspire it. Collaborating with Haley Mellin and Art into Acres has enabled this work to have a tangible impact on long-term environmental stewardship in a way that feels both necessary and urgent.”
“The permanent protection of nature depends on unlikely partnerships. Claire’s generosity, together with Noon Powell Fine Art and our conservation partners, demonstrates how the arts can help accelerate lasting protection for some of the world’s most biodiverse and culturally significant landscapes.”