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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