SYRACUSE, NY – Lions and tigers and bears…and a miniature Meditterranean donkey?
It’s obviously no Wizard of Oz excerpt, instead, these are just a few types of animals that are on display at Syracuse’s Everson Museum of Art.
Paws or Paint Brushes? from Newhouse BDJ on Vimeo
But it’s not pictures of the animals that are drawing attention–it’s pictures produced by them.
For the last month, Everson has played host to the “Art Gone Wild” exhibit, a collection of paintings done by animals at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.
“People come into the gallery, they’re looking at the artwork, and then of course they start reading the labels and realize that, instead of famous, contemporary artists, they’re looking at the work of their neighbors at the zoo,” said Sarah Massett, Public Relations Director at Everson. “It’s fun to see people’s reactions. People get a nice kick out of it.”
Now, the animals aren’t solely responsible for the artwork. While they put their emphatic stamps on the canvas, zoo trainers and artists are responsible for the paintings’ background work.
Art Not Just for Show
While the “Art Gone Wild” exhibit has drawn lots of interest from museum-goers, according to Masset, the paintings’ are first and foremost a means of fundraising.
Once the art is removed from Everson at the end of this week, it will be returned to the zoo, where the paintings will be prepped to be auctioned on November 20.
“The paintings are beautiful, they’re gorgeous to look at, and of course it’s extra fun when you realize they’ve been made by the penguins, the tigers, the mandrils and all the other animals you can see at the zoo,” said Massett.
All 20 pieces currently on display at Everson will be auctioned off.
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