“NO. I DO NOT PLAY POKER.” “Ray” by Gail Schellinger (above) is but one small part of Art Cartel’s latest exhibition with a dog-tastic theme.

It’s no secret that Eau Claire is a dog-loving town; consider that last year’s Sculpture Tour People’s Choice Award went to the high-fiving Great Dane now greeting folks at Phoenix Park. Dogs and people have been best pals since before a written record of history began. Tens of thousands of years of time together has created something of a mythic bond between our two species, and a lot of love. And what we love, we love to immortalize. In our own odd human way we started by drawing our buddies on cave walls, singing songs about them, and telling stories. And on it goes, from Odysseus’s faithful Argos to Bart Simpson’s also faithful, though scrappier, Santa’s Little Helper.

Enter the Art Cartel’s First Annual Dog Art Exhibit at Tangled Up In Hue. The Art Cartel is a group of local artists interested in showing unconventional art in unconventional ways. Whether transforming a back alley into a daylong art gallery, or turning a restaurant upside-down and inside out for the sake of an evening’s exhibition, these folks want art to pulse and live. This new event of theirs is an offbeat show of doggie fun. The opening night featured spoken word art, live readings, and poetry by Aryn Widule and Alan Jenkins. Eau Claire band The Procrastinators played all the dog songs they knew for the human and canine crowd, and the Eau Claire County Humane Association was on hand with an adoptable dog to fall in love with. The Tangled crew also made a great showing with live glass blowing. The physical artwork is up through September and includes an eclectic collection of work by local artists, headed up by Eau Claire’s own Art Cartel. The show includes interpretations of dogs through collage, metal sculpture, painting, photography, and crochet – all representing the various artists’ dog experiences, prejudices and dreams. And if that isn’t enough to get you going, all sales of artwork benefit the Eau Claire County Humane Association.
The show is the brainchild of Brian Duerkop, a founding member of the Art Cartel. A self confessed lifelong dog lover, he adopted Calvin, a German Shorthaired Pointer and Red Heeler mix, six years ago and it was Calvin’s recent passing that inspired the idea for the show. Brian has since adopted another dog from the Eau Claire County Humane Association and is keen to use his talents to help other animals in need. “I really wanted to show my appreciation for the work of the Humane Association,” says Duerkop.

The Eau Claire County Humane Association cares for 30 to 40 homeless dogs at any given time and usually has between 10 and 15 ready for adoption. Karen Rabideaux, the Coordinator of Volunteers at ECCHA says they are excited to participate in the show as an opportunity to raise awareness of the plight of local homeless animals and to promote their adoptable dogs. You can help them in their mission to be a voice for all animals by volunteering to do anything from walking dogs and fostering a homeless animal to office work. Help is urgently needed both in their fostering and Petsmart programs.

The show runs from Aug. 31 – Sept. 30. Check www.tangledupinhue.com for hours. You can get more information about ECHA at www.eccha.org or on their Facebook page.