Lisa A. Fortier DVM, PhD, DACVS
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 261, 4; 10.2460/javma.261.4.448
Dear members and readers,
This year marks the 50th anniversary of our commissioning and publishing bespoke JAVMA cover art. Prior to 1973, the covers could be described as standard academic-journal efforts—see https://jav.ma/journal-covers.
Perhaps you have noticed the appearance of historical cover art in your 2023 JAVMA issues? These reprinted cover inserts are just one of many ways we are proudly celebrating the Golden Jubilee of cover art in JAVMA and the creation of beautiful animal art for the veterinary profession.
Featuring animal art on the cover of a scientific journal is unique to JAVMA and is very popular with our members, readers, and the veterinary art community. When we first began publishing cover artwork, we didn’t do so with every issue. Over time, however, the enthusiastic public response to these images prompted us to run them with increasing frequency, until eventually every issue featured animal art on its cover. When, in 2022, we inventoried all the cover art, we arrived at a little over 1,000 amazing pieces, an extraordinary collection that speaks volumes about our communal love of the unique beauty of animals—domestic, wild, companion, feathered, finned, hooved, and furred.
One of the primary goals of the JAVMArt Jubilee is to celebrate the art created by those associated with the veterinary profession—veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary students, and their families and friends. Here’s how the process worked: Our Publications Division staff read all the “About the Cover” statements published in JAVMA and identified 181 covers created by members of our veterinary community. Then the 19 members of our JAVMArt Jubilee Committee each voted on their top 10 favorite covers. The results were tallied to reveal the top 25 covers. We then took these 25 to the 2022 AVMA Convention in Philadelphia, where the Convention attendees voted on their favorites. The result? The top 12 JAVMA cover illustrations. And these are the pieces you are seeing reproduced in the 2023 issues of JAVMA and as a collage on the cover of this issue.
All 181 pieces of cover art are being recognized with reproduction in a very special book called JAVMArt Jubilee: Celebrating 50 Years of Our Favorite Cover Art. A sneak preview can be viewed at the end of this editorial. We are very excited about this as a uniquely special way to honor the artists and the animals that touch all our lives. This lovely coffee-table book will be available for purchase at the online AVMA store in July.
Another highlight of our JAVMArt Jubilee celebration will take place during the 2023 AVMA Convention in Denver, July 14 to 18, 2023. We will display all 181 pieces of cover art in a dedicated booth area. During the afternoon of Saturday, July 15, we will gather at the booth for a time of shared fellowship and celebration of the unique importance and contribution of art in our profession. In collaboration with the ArtVetNow group, there will also be an on-site art show featuring 15 artists from the veterinary community. Please join us for this special occasion—I hope to see you there!
Respectfully,
Dr. Lisa A. Fortier DVM, PhD, DACVS
Editor-in-Chief, JAVMA and AJVR
Division Director of Publications, AVMA
