On April 20, 2009, Otter Tail Corporation unveiled a painting by award-winning wildlife artist and Otter Tail Power Company employee Jeffrey Hoff. The painting depicts two otters on the Otter Tail River in vivid color and captures the curious nature and intelligence of the animal.
"Jeff has been with Otter Tail Power Company for 14 years and was the obvious choice for this project," said Otter Tail Corporation CEO John Erickson. "We wanted to capture the spirit of the utility's 100 years of serving customers, and Jeff's beautiful painting of the symbol of the company does that in a special way."
Hoff grew up in Devils Lake, North Dakota, and is a customer service manager for Otter Tail Power Company in Jamestown, North Dakota.
Other than a single art class in college, Jeff has no formal training and cites his love of wildlife and nature as his inspiration. Coaxed by a friend in 1997 to enter his first duck stamp competition, Hoff submitted a painting of a pair of hooded mergansers in the Nevada state duck stamp competition and placed fifth out of 67 entries. He won the Nevada duck stamp competition in 2002, among other honors, and most recently placed first in the Ohio wetlands habitat stamp contest.
"The 100th anniversary is a milestone for our company, so I was honored and excited to have the chance to use my artistic abilities to create something unique for this celebration," said Hoff.
The unveiling of the painting took place at Otter Tail Corporation's Annual Meeting of Shareholders in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and is in honor of Otter Tail Power Company's centennial celebration that includes pay-it-forward projects demonstrating social, economic, and environmental stewardship in each of the three states we serve.
Hoff's painting is available at www.fargostuff.com . Simply type "Otters" into the site's search engine. The image on the lithograph print is 16"x24." When you include the white border around the image, the entire print is 19"x28." You can purchase one lithograph for $25 or two for $40, shipping not included. Otter Tail Power Company employees can purchase the lithograph for $15 as a special thank you for helping to provide reliable service to our customers. Prints also will be available at Customer Appreciation Open Houses this summer. Contact your local Customer Service Center for more information about its open house, or check out the events calendar on this web site.
You can learn more about the artist and his work at www.crosswindsart.com .
