Laumeier Sculpture Park Exhibit Explores the Complex Dog-Human Relationship
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Tuesday, April 29, 2025


Laumeier Sculpture Park Exhibit Explores the Complex Dog-Human Relationship
William Wegman, Spelling Lesson, 1973–1974, photo by Mike Venso / Laumeier Sculpture Park.



ST. LOUIS, MO.- Laumeier Sculpture Park presents an exhibition that examines the complex intersection between our human behavior and that of our domesticated partners. Dog Days of Summer features the work of ten artists spanning nearly three centuries in both the indoor and outdoor exhibition spaces at Laumeier. The show explores the relationship between humans and canines as depicted in visual art, from an 18th century drawing to a 21st century site specific installation. The mutual impact humans and dogs have had on each other over time is a particular focus.

“Dog Days of Summer continues Laumeier Sculpture Park’s on-going investigation of the ‘archaeology of place’,” said Marilu Knode, the exhibition co-curator and Laumeier’s Executive Director and the Aronson Endowed Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. “As one of only two accredited museums in the United States that allows dogs, Laumeier is an ideal museum to produce a show that is both playful and serious.” Research for the show began in 2009. The results of visitor studies, which showed that more than 20 percent of Laumeier’s visitors come with their dog, were highly influential in the development of the exhibition.

“All the breeds I see at Laumeier, from Teacup Poodles to Great Danes, are descended from a common ancestor—the wolf,” said Kim Humphries, the exhibition co-curator and Laumeier’s former Director of Exhibitions and Collections. “Millennia of evolution have domesticated the dog which has become so deeply intertwined in our lives it is only natural that they have found their way into our artwork.”

The centerpiece of the exhibition is a commissioned dog trail by Finnish artist Tea Mäkipää, who has worked with a range of experts from St. Louis and elsewhere to create a multi-sensory experience for both canine and human visitors along Laumeier’s Nature Trail. Mäkipää’s six interactive “stations” highlight the ways in which our four-legged friends “read,” and experience, the outdoors. The exhibition includes work by contemporary artists Robert Chambers (USA), Jeff Koons (USA), Maria Lindberg
(Sweden) and William Wegman (USA), as well as historic works by Richard Cosway, Edwin Megargee and others on loan from the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog. Concurrently, videos by William Wegman will also be screened Sunday-Friday evenings between June 26 and August 31, 2011 at Citygarden in downtown St. Louis.










Today's News

June 26, 2011

The Queen: Art and Image at the National Gallery Complex Celebrates Diamond Jubilee

Andy Warhol's Portrait of Debbie Harry, A Highlight of Sotheby's Contemporary Art Sale

Actor Peter Falk, TV's Rumpled Columbo and an Artist in His Own Right, has Died

Leading Art Dealer Robert Miller, Founder of Robert Miller Gallery, Dies at 72

Colorado Parks Board Approves Pact with Artist Christo for Over the River Project

Atlanta Artist Radcliffe Bailey Makes Headline Debut at The High Museum of Art

Workers Rotate Confederate Sub Upright for First Time in Almost 150 Years

Vassar College's Art Center Highlights Three Collectors and 48 Outstanding Works

Released Chinese Artist-Activist Ai Weiwei's Associates Freed After Ai's Release

Laumeier Sculpture Park Exhibit Explores the Complex Dog-Human Relationship

DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum Presents Exhibition Andy Goldsworthy: Snow

Pasadena Museum Shows Exhibition Inspired by California Skateboard and Surf Culture

Subtle and Emotional Comic Book Artist Gene Colan Dies at 84 in the Bronx

Screaming from the Mountain: Landscapes and Viewpoints at SKMU Sørlandets

Desiree Holman's Heterotopias at Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

American Artist Mariah Robertson's First Solo Exhibition in the UK Opens at BALTIC

Metropolitan Museum Offers Added Viewing Day for Highly Popular Special Exhibitions, Selected Galleries

The Marine Mammal Center Hosts 15 Colossal Sculptures Made from Ocean Trash

$3.5M Estate Gift Supports University of Arizona Creative Photography Center

Princess Diana Dress Sold at Toronto Auction

Dulwich Picture Gallery to Show Poussin Sacraments




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
(52 8110667640)

Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful