Art lovers know Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso, but has anyone heard of Peanut, Mable and Peggy? You will because they’re three of South Florida’s up and coming artists.
Deco Drive is going wild, and our animal instincts sent us to Zoo Miami.
Yosanni Torres, Zoo Miami: “Zoo Miami is a zoological facility and botanical gardens that is home to a variety of different endangered species of animals.”
Some of the zoo’s most famous residents are now artists.
The animal art work is for a really good cause. It gets auctioned off this weekend at SAVAGE: Art Made By Animals, a fundraiser for the zoo and for conservation research.
Yosanni Torres: “SAVAGE Art is an art show that we host every two years, and it showcases works created by the animals and their zoo keepers.”
From a painting made by an orangutan, to one of a gorilla’s hand print, to a porcupine’s prickly swipes, the zoo’s residents turn a blank canvas into a beautiful work of art.
Yosanni Torres: “We have active art, which is we give the animals the materials, so we give them the paint and the canvas and let them express themselves through the art work. We also have passive art, which is more keeper-assisted.”
The paint is non-toxic, so it’s OK to use, and most of the artists work for peanuts and other treats.
Lauren Inderbitzin, Zoo Miami: “All of our training is done with positive reinforcement training. What that means is we ask them to do these behaviors. We don’t make or force them to do what they don’t want to do.”
Who knew an elephant kiss could be so pretty?
Lauren Inderbitzin: “We will paint the very tip of her trunk and ask her to simply kiss the canvas.”
Sometimes the animals use brushes, others use horns, but most like to walk in the paint.
Jennifer Nelson, Zoo Miami: “The cheetahs, for instance, we have trained them to put paw prints down on canvas, but a lot of times, it starts off as a fun time for them.”
The zoo keepers don’t just help, they get in on the gig, too.
Yosanni Torres: “One of our vultures, they were actually able to get one of his feathers that had fallen off, and they put paint on the feather and were able to get a nice imprint of the feather onto the canvas, and they also have his paw prints on the canvas as well.”
Each artwork is one of a kind and gives you a great story to tell.
Yosanni Torres: “They are not replicated anywhere. They are not sold in the gift shop. They are specifically for this event, which is a conservation fundraiser.”
SAVAGE: Art Made By Animals is this Saturday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Grove Gallery in Coconut Grove.
The show is free to get in but remember to bring money to buy the art work.
FOR MORE INFO:
SAVAGE: Art Made By Animals
www.zoomiami.org/Default.aspx?p=156331&evtid=1457867:9/14/2019
Zoo Miami
12400 SW 152nd St.
Miami, FL 33177
305-251-0400
www.zoomiami.org/
Grove Gallery & Interiors
2884 Bird Ave.
Miami, FL 33133
305-445-7401
www.grovegalleryinteriors.com/
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