Timing is everything. With the recent prison release of former Atlanta Falcons football star Michael Vick, the horrors of his dogfighting exploits with his 48 pit bulls have once again been flooding the media. So the timing couldn’t be better for a couple of art shows that encourage us to look at how we look at pit bulls.
Both exhibits feature the work of Best Friends founder and artist, Cyrus Mejia. And both exhibits are currently taking place in Syracuse, New York.
In La Casita Link Gallery on the campus of Syracuse University hang the 22 oil-on-panel portraits of the 22 Vicktory dogs; the pit bulls rescued from Michael Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels now living at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
These small paintings inspired Mejia to create “Pits and Perception,” a collection of 12 49-by-56 inch pit bull portraits, made possible by a grant from The Culture and Animals Foundation. All 12 images from the collection are included in Urban Video Project, a slide show presentation of 3,600 square-foot artistic images projected onto buildings throughout downtown Syracuse presented through the Syracuse Public Art Commission.
Mejia set a rather lofty goal in painting these animals: To change the way an entire culture thinks about pit bulls. But, as he put it, it’s not implausible as perceptions change all the time.
“When I was a kid, the pit bull was the family pet,” explains Mejia. “Petey on ‘The Little Rascals’ was a pit bull. The Buster Brown shoe mascot [Tige] was a pit bull.
“I got to thinking: If people used to think of pit bulls as the friendly family dog, why couldn’t it happen again? I painted these dogs as I see them: With a great capacity to trust and love. Hopefully others will begin to see them in that light, too.”
These exhibits came together through Gina Stankivitz, curator for the Community Folk Art Center on the Syracuse University campus. She was first introduced to the artist’s work through university supporters and fans of Mejia, Howard and Louise Phanstiel. Stankivitz viewed more of Mejia’s work through his website and invited him to bring “Pits and Perception” to the CFAC in the summer of 2010. In the meantime, La Casita Link Gallery had recently started hosting art exhibits and welcomed the opportunity to feature the smaller pit bull portraits this summer.
“Mejia’s work will help bring about awareness in our community regarding the plight of pit bulls and other animals,” says Stankivitz. “We’re hoping people will come and think about some of these issues and become inspired to do something in support of these animals or help in some way on their own.”
Stankavitz also brought Mejia’s work to the attention of the Syracuse Public Art Commission. The members felt Mejia’s work fit in well with the Urban Video Project, a multi-artist production of time-lapsed photography, stop action animation, still photography and images of abstract and realistic paintings.
Not only are Mejia’s visual images part of the UVP, his artist statement is included as well. Kate Auwaerter, public art coordinator for the Public Art Commission believes the narrative describing his process in creating “Pits and Perception” enhances the viewers’ ability to sympathize with his mission.
“It’s quite compelling, really,” says Auwaerter. “His statement added a deeper component to the work and will enrich people’s understanding of what he’s hoping to communicate through the art.”
Mejia’s exhibit runs through June 30 at La Casita Link Gallery, 350 W. Fayette St.; Syracuse, New York Tues.- Sat., 12- 6 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Written by Amy Abern
Photos by Gary Kalpakoff and Molly Wald
The Urban Video Project runs through May 2010 in downtown Syracuse, New York. For more information, visit the Connective Corridor website.
The “Pits and Perception” exhibit will run at the Community Folk Art Center in Syracuse, New York June 12 – Aug. 14, 2010. For more information, visit the Community Folk Art Center website.
See more of Mejia’s work and find information on upcoming exhibits at cyrusmejia.com.
“Pit Bulls: Saving America’s Dog,” is one of four Best Friends campaigns aimed at reaching the goal of No More Homeless Pets. Read more about dogfighting, breed discriminatory legislation and other challenges pit bulls face, as well as learn how you can help, by clicking here.
As part of Best Friends’ 25th anniversary in 2009, our goal is to double our membership, so we can double our efforts to bring about a time when all companion animals have a forever home. What can you do to help? Give the Gift of a Best Friends membership to family and friends.
