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By Chuck Myers
Knight Ridder Newspapers


WASHINGTON - Just when things seem to have gone to the dogs in this dog-eat-dog world, one Washington, D.C., gallery owner proves that every dog does have its day.

Away from the hoards of visitors combing Capitol Hill and the National Mall, Kathleen Ewing offers a delightful escape from the summer heat with a special display collection of art devoted exclusively to man's best friend.

"Dog Days Dog Show" at Kathleen Ewing Gallery is an annual canine extravaganza that pays tribute to the tail waggers of the world, and helps focus attention on the efforts of animal shelters and those who care for orphaned pets. It began in 1986 as an open invitation to local artists to submit dog-related artwork, and today attracts both professional and amateur interest from all over the country.

Realizing a few years ago that it was impossible to help every stray dog she came across, Ewing, who has two terriers, found that the show offered her another avenue. "I feel like I'm doing my job to help out animals, but in a more intellectual way," said Ewing, who has owned her gallery since 1976.

"Dog Days" is a departure from the gallery's normal focus on serious photography, offering an eclectic mix of paintings, prints, photographs and sculptures. It provides many artists who are not normally represented by a gallery with a unique opportunity to

exhibit their talent. "We get more and more entries all the time," Ewing said. "It gives us the ability to open up the gallery to the artists and be more populist." Nearly 200 hundred artworks, some from as far away as Alaska, were submitted this year. A flat $5 fee required to enter works in the display, along with a percentage of any sale, is donated to the Washington Animal Rescue League and the Animal Welfare Society of Jefferson County, W. Va. Raising proceeds, however, is hardly the show's sole purpose. "What I'm hoping to accomplish is two things," Ewing explains. "One, summertime in Washington is not very exciting, so this is meant to be entertaining. Secondly, I am interested in exposure for animal-welfare organizations."

The works range from conventional to abstract, with results that would make the Westminster Kennel Club envious: large dogs, small ones, puppies, purebreds, mutts, retrievers, terriers, hounds - you name it. As a rule, anything goes, with one important exception: Depictions of dead dogs are not allowed.

Photographer William Wegman's favorite Weimaraners have graced the show in the past, as have sculptures by Suzanne Codi, a Washington artist whose offbeat works have included a wedding cake crowned with canine figurines and a rendition of the working pooch in a post-nuclear-war world.

This year's show contains dozens of beautiful photographs and paintings, as well as an array of unconventional yet creative works that include a dog-shaped lamp, a stone dog dish that doubles as a bird bath, T-shirts with dog images, a bronze Shar-pei and carved wooden floor and wall pieces.

"I'm always looking for something that deals with the mystique of the dog," Ewing said. "I think people have gotten into it, and they're always kind of looking around for a dog shot."

"Dog Days Dog Show" opened Sunday and remains on view through Aug. 21.

The Kathleen Ewing Gallery is at 1609 Connecticut Ave. NW. Hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The gallery is closed Sunday and Tuesday.

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  © 2002 Chuck Myers