Category: Contemporary Dog Art

Beasts of Burden and Compassion Arts Festival NYC

Sacrifice by Jane O'Hara, 2005

New York friends, I wanted to remind you that "Beasts of Burden: Our Complex Relationship with Animals" will be on view October 20 – 22 in NYC.

The exhibition is part of the Compassion Arts Festival, a weekend of song, artistry, discussion, film, and performances reflecting our multifaceted relationships with the earth and the animals we share it with.

There are two "Beast of Burden" events, the art show and a multimedia performance by curator, artist, and activist, Jane O'Hara.

If there's one piece that exemplifies the show for me, its Jane's Sacrifice (above), a 5-foot tall screen that depicts nine animals wearing vestments of the companies that killed them. It's inspired by iconic paintings of Christian martyrs and the notion that millions of animals sacrifice their lives to powerful forces everyday in similarly barbaric ways.

I think it will be moving to see this piece in person.

Also, I'm proud to have my work, Twelve dox-ZENs, included.

Twelve dox-ZENs by Moira McLaughlin, 2014

I produced this work in the in the wake of the death of my beloved longhaired Dachshund named Darby. For months, I was crippled by grief and creative paralysis.

Finally, I decided to paint dozens of sumi-e ink Darbys on the pages of a deconstructed book, Buddhism and Zen by Nyogen Senzaki and Ruth Strout McCandless. The series is a meditation on the Buddhist concept that the mind is an endless cycle of three processes: craving, acting, and discontentment.

dox-ZEN XII

Exhibition: "Beasts of Burden: Our Complex Relationship with Animals"

TUF Gallery/O’Hara Projects
208 East 73 St.
New York, NY 10021

Opening Reception and Book Signing: Friday, Oct 20, 2017, 5 – 8 pm (vegan friendly & free to the public)

Gallery Hours: Saturday, Oct. 21 and Saturday, Oct. 22, 11 am – 6pm

Performance: "Reflections on Beasts of Burden by Jane O'Hara"

Saturday, October 21, 7:30pm

Symphony Space/Leonard Nimoy Theatre
2537 Broadway
New York, NY10025

Tickets for Jane's multimedia presentation are $20 in advance and $25 day of show available here.

Visit Beasts of Burden for more information about this exhibition and performance.

For information about all the animal-centric events happening this weekend visit Compassion Arts Festival.

P.S. Sadly I won't be able to attend. If you have a chance to take photos, I would love to see them. Tag me on Instagram and Twitter.

Thank you so much. Enjoy!

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October 18, 2017
Beasts of Burden in NYC

“Beasts of Burden”

I’m excited to announce that an expanded version of the 2012 show “Beasts of Burden,” curated by Jane O’Hara, will be on view in New York City, October 20 – 22, 2017 at TUF Gallery, 208 East 73 Street.

Opening night reception is Friday, October 20, 5-8 pm.

The exhibition includes the work of 14 artists exploring our complex relationship with animals:

Tony Bevilacqua
Denise Lindquist
Ariel Bordeaux
Nancy Diessner
Karen Fiorito
Raul Gonzalez lll
Adonna Khare
Wendy Klemperer
Jo-Anne McArthur
Moira McLaughlin
Moby
Jane O’Hara
Julia Oldham
Gedas Paskauskas

My series “Twelve dox-ZENs” will be on view. This time they will be for sale individually ($400 each) or together ($2400). I’ll have another post on this soon.

The show is part of the Compassion Arts & Culture and Animals Festival, a weekend-long celebration of song, artistry, discussion, film, and performances reflecting our multifaceted relationships with animals and the earth we share.

The festival is presented by two prestigious entities: Culture & Animals Foundation, a non-profit committed to supporting artists and scholars in advancing our understanding of and commitment to animals, and Compassion Arts, a creative arts and education initiative dedicated to expanding the way we see animals, nature, each other, and ourselves.

In addition to the exhibition, curator Jane O’Hara will perform a multi-media reflection on “Beasts of Burden” featuring song, video, spoken word and art in collaboration with singer-songwriter Joy Askew and poet Gretchen Primack, Saturday night at 7:30 pm at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, NY, NY.

Tickets for the performance are $20 each or $25 day of show ($10 for children and students). Click here to order yours.

There are many other animal-centric events throughout the weekend you might be interested in.

Visit Compassion Arts Festival for more information.

September 20, 2017
Donate to NMAS and Get a dox-ZEN

dox-ZEN V print by Moira McLaughlin is a $50 perk

The Los Angeles-based National Museum of Animals & Society, founded by Carolyn Marino Mullin as the first museum dedicated to enriching the lives of animals and people through exploration of shared experiences, is moving to a new, larger space. To that end, they've launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $50,000, and amount that will be matched by The Ellen Lavinthal Family Trust.

Currently they're at $29,306 with 23 days to reach their goal by February 18, 2015.

There are many terrific perks, and I'm honored that dox-ZEN V from my Twelve dox-ZENs series is available as a print at the $50 level.

Please consider making a contribution at any level, even $1, to support this institution and help it continue to thrive.

Visit the Indiegogo campaign to learn more and make a donation.

Get inspired by this video (view at Indiegogo if you can't see it in your email)…

Thank you for your consideration.

January 27, 2015
DANK At The Miners Foundry This Weekend

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The Miners Foundry Cultural Center by Moira McLaughlin

DANK, our ten-person artists collective, has a new home at the Miners Foundry in Nevada City. The historic building, established in 1855, destroyed by fire in 1856, and rebuilt in 1859, is a cultural gem in our Northern California gold rush town.

We are so honored to assist in energizing the building with art and cultural programming, and to continue the legacy of two artists, David Osborn and Charles Woods, the visionaries who helped preserve the Foundry during their lifetimes

Our premiere show, DANK at Osborn/Woods, opens this weekend, January 16 – 18, during the 13th annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival, the largest environmental festival of its kind. This year's theme is A Wild Life.

It's been pretty wild getting ready for DANK…

Sheila Cameron, Moira McLaughlin, Kathy Frey and Joe Meade by Sky Mowen

Bird's Nest by Moira McLaughlin

Gallerist Molly Cameron by Moira McLaughlin

Joe on the Shelf by Moira McLaughlin

Foundry Nail by Moira McLaughlin

Eureka: Cynthia Levesque and Babe by Sheila Cameron

Push by Moira McLaughlin

Please come by and say hi.

Miners Foundry Cultural Center
325 Spring St.
Nevada City, CA 95959

Friday, January 16th, 4 – 8pm
Saturday, January 17th, 8:30am – 2pm and 4pm – 8pm
Sunday, January 18th, 8:30am – 2pm and 4 – 6pm.

In the morning, Steffen Snell of Foxhound Espresso will be pouring his awesome coffee and in the evenings, we'll have wine.

More information at DANK.

P.S. This event aims for zero waste. Please bring your own mug, mason jar, or wine glass. More ideas for greening the festival at Wild & Scenic's website.

January 15, 2015
Tyler Foote by Clair Hartmann

Tyler Foote by Clair Hartmann, 2014

North Carolina artist and DAT favorite, Clair Hartmann was so inspired by Tyler Foote Finds: A Compendium of My Ignorance, she asked for a trade: a print of the installation and a DANK Koan in return for one of her imaginary realism portraits of Footey.

Of course my answer was yes. Clair's portrait of my beloved Darby (1994 – 2011) is one of my treasured possessions, my screen saver, and it was featured in "Modern Dog Magazine."

Clair's Tyler Foote portrait pays homage to his passion for nature by representing him as Alexander Von Humboldt (1769 – 1859) Prussian explorer, naturalist, and father of botanical and field biogeography…

Alexander von Humboldt by Franz Xaver Kleiber

I adore it.

Visit Clair Hartmann's website to commission a portrait of your pet, either classic or imaginary realism style.

She offers a 25% discount for anyone who works for a non-profit animal rescue and gift certificates for the holidays are available.

Her Chumley Calendar, a celebration of her own pup, is a gorgeous cross-section of her styles. Order it here.

Thank you, Clair.

xo, Moira and Tyler Foote

P.S. Watch a brief TED Talk lesson on Alexander von Humboldt, the most famous person you never heard of. Clair's painting may help give him the recognition he deserves.

December 15, 2014
War on Women Art Exhibit in Pittsburgh

Timothy by Meredith Driscoll, 2014

My friend and faux sister, Meredith Driscoll (her maiden name is McLaughlin and she is very much part of our family), is a former Hollywood costume designer, fashion illustrator, stylist, and FIT graduate.

After moving from LA back to her hometown of Pittsburgh to marry and become a mom, she turned her talents to her political passions, namely reproductive health rights and the "war on women." Thursday, October 2, her vision for an art exhibit interpreting this war takes place at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.

The event will feature a silent auction of the works of twenty artists to benefit Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates Association & PAC and its efforts in the 2014 midterm elections. Special guest, Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood Action Fund President, will host a pre-show VIP reception at 6pm, with general admission at 7pm.

Meredith's Timothy, a portrait of Cardinal Timothy Dolan and a commentary on the Catholic Church's institutionalized victimization of women and children, might be the only canine in the show, but, imo, it's worth the ticket.

For more information visit Planned Parenthood PA.

October 1, 2014
Brief Documentary of Gary Bunt Painter and Poet

D. I. Why?

I've been saving British artist Gary Bunt's paintings for today, the first day of Fall, because they speak to the seasons, literally and metaphorically.

I fell in love with them all, so I can't even call these picks favorites. Let's just say here's a sampling. Enjoy.

Lean on Me

Bones and Things

Moonlit Garden

Wet Paint

Windy Day

A Walk in the Park

In the Doghouse

Counting Sheep

Just Good Friends

Follow Me

Low Tide

See more of Gary Bunt's paintings at Portland Fine Art, London, where he will be having an exhibition in 2015.

Also, I think you'll find this eighteen-minute documentary about him by Carl Warner inspiring. You can view it on Dog Art Today. But I recommend watching it on YouTube full screen.

And, Gary Bunt: The Long Way Round, a monograph by Alexandra Fielding featuring 160 works, is available here.

Gary Bunt: The Long Way Round by Alexandra Fielding

Happy Fall!

September 23, 2014
Great White Shark Attacks Massachusetts Kayakers

A Dog and the Great White Shark Jaw by Jamie Wyeth, 2010

Full story of the terrifying shark attack here.

A Jamie Wyeth retrospective is on view now at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston — lots of dogs included.

Painting via Adelson Galleries.

September 5, 2014
Dogs and Water 2014

Dolly in Provincetown, MA by Amy Turner

I received a beautiful collection of dogs and water from you this year.

Thank you.

After the Bath by Maribeth Wright

Heather and Bella at Chrissy Field, CA by Jesse Freidin

Rico at Flathead Lake, MT by Lauren Grabelle

Summer by Debra Jones

Mac the Malamute at Knik Inlet, AK by Chris Gibbs
(click on image to view larger size)

August 25, 2014
Dog Cat Mouse at National Museum of Animals & Society

I haven't been, but I've heard great things about the National Museum of Animals & Society in Los Angeles.

If you're in the East Hollywood neighborhood, stop by their new exhibition Dog Cat Mouse featuring the works of Erika Carter, Heather Mattoon, and Virginia McCraken. The show, curated by artist Rafael Perea de la Cabada, opens Saturday, Augut 9 with a reception from 7 – 9 pm.

It's free and open to the public. A portion of the sales will benefit spcaLA, an organization that rehomes dogs, cats, mice, and other animals in need.

More information, including some interesting ancillary workshops and talks at the National Museum of Animals & Society.

August 7, 2014