It seemed like a family reunion at the James Partee Jr. art reception Thursday evening. The Firehouse Arts Center crowd of former classmates, relatives, friends and arts lovers overflowed onto the tented patio where cool breezes made seating more comfortable.

Highlight of the evening was when Partee presented two framed plaques containing collages of his artwork, associated news articles and photos to the Decatur County Historical Society. Roslyn Palmer accepted the plaques on behalf of the Historical Society.

Partee, an internationally known wildlife artist, is a native of Bainbridge. What he describes as the highlight of his artistic career came in 2012 when he was asked to paint a portrait of the prized racehorse Carlton House owned by Queen Elizabeth II. This gave him the opportunity to travel to England, where he met the Queen and Prince Philip to present her with the painting. Partee explained the Queen specifically asked that he never sell the copies of the painting, but that they be used only as donations to raise funds for charitable causes.

Partee’s friendship with Graham Browne, a member of the Queen’s special services, facilitated that experience. Browne and his wife traveled from England to Bainbridge to attend Thursday’s reception.

The exhibit titled, My Brush with Wildlife,” is an eclectic collection of Partee’s original oils and watercolors. His subjects are landscapes, wildlife, botanical, nautical and African art works.

The show continues on Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. through the 29th.