Focus on Nature IX is a juried exhibition of natural and cultural history illustration, organized by the Museum and featuring work from around the world. Its artists depict biological, geological, archeological and botanical subjects and use a wide range of media from traditional watercolor to digital techniques. The basis for selection of these works is the degree of technical skill, aesthetic qualities, originality, and scientific accuracy.

The ninth Focus on Nature has a fitting home in the New York State Museum, where a research tradition extends back to the founding of the State Geological and Natural History Survey in 1836. While the reputation of the exhibition has grown internationally, its essential purpose remains the same—to highlight illustration as a means of communicating scientific and artistic observation. Focus on Nature IX includes the work of 75 artists from 12 countries. The exhibition opens in conjunction with the ninth Northeast Natural History Conference (April 20-21, 2006), a forum for researchers to present current information on the varied aspects of natural history for the Northeastern United States and adjacent Canada.