JHP celebrates dog’s world with many views of many breeds
Cook County News-Herald
Last Updated: Friday, July 27th, 2007 10:07:49 AM
Dogs, dogs and more dogs — The paintings and prints at The Dog Show, which opens at the Johnson Heritage Post with a reception from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, July 27, are extraordinary .
Joan Farnam
Feature editor
There’s a dog show at the Johnson Heritage Post this Friday.
And no, that doesn’t mean you’ll walk in to be greeted by wagging tails and an affectionate bump on the leg.
But you will be greeted by dogs — lots of dogs.
Cute dogs, sad dogs, funny dogs, spiritual dogs, wolf-dogs, mutts, pedigrees and more, line the walls of the gallery in a art show that is pretty fantastic.
Originally the brainchild of Sivertson gallery-owner Jan Sivertson, who is on the board of the Heritage Post, and Susan Kirkham, who paints portraits of whippets, the Dog Show has grown to include eight other local artists, all of whom paint dogs and love to do it.
“This is probably the only Dog Show in the country,” said Kirkham, “except for the AKC Museum in St. Louis.”
A show like this might have been quite surprising 20 years ago, added Kirkham, who struggled for years at the Minnesota College of Design to paint dogs despite what her professor said. At one point, he angrily told her “Bring in six paintings tomorrow and I don’t want to see any cute paintings of your cute puppy,” he told her. It wasn’t until she took a class from Hazel Belvo at the Grand Marais Art Colony that she began painting dogs again. “She’s the one who said go for it,” Kirkham recalls. “You can be the best painter of dogs in the country.” These days, paintings of dogs are cropping up everywhere. “I see them in the southwest a lot and in England — they’re quite the rage.”
Painting dogs can be restorative, said Tamera Andersen, who first started painting dogs after her dog died. “My heart was broken,” she said, and so she started painting her lost companion. Since then she has done a great series about her three-legged dog, Arthur. Arthur is a plucky cancer survivor and her paintings celebrate his life.
Tim Young, who has painted dogs since he was a boy, said dogs are just pure love.” Love is a theme with dogs,” he said, and then gestured to the paintings on the walls. “I feel that here.”
Humor is also part of the mix, as is whimsy. Kelly Dupre has several linoleum cuts of dogs treeing a cat or sitting there expectantly with bone in mouth. They elicit chuckles and endearments.
Sterling Rathsack, a painter from Superior, Wis., also has pieces in the show. Some are dark, foreboding images, others are playful paintings of dogs at play and in their element.
Marce Wood is showing a wonderful collection of her whimsical paintings on wood which evoke some of the fascinating spiritual aspects of dogs in our culture, and Staci Drouillard has a series of charming and poignant paintings of dogs that evoke smiles.
Young, who fosters lost and abandoned dogs until they can find homes, has a series of paintings of these brief guests, as well as paintings of his own pets.
And painter Jan Attridge, who is new to the area, has painted wolves as well as dogs, bringing history into the mix.
And last, but not least, Liz Sivertson has not only done paintings but large-scale sculptures of dogs which greet the visitor (like all dogs will) as they enter the show.
There’s no doubt about it — it’s a dog’s world at the Heritage Post this month, so go and enjoy it.
The opening reception is from 5-7 p.m. Friday, July 27. Refreshments will be served.