animals

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Seen at the Pet Expo: Fuchsia Femmes

Regina and Priscilla

Regina (l) and Priscilla (r) waited in line Saturday to strut their colors at the Everything Pet Expo.

Under fluorescent lights reminiscent of an industrial animal farm, last weekend’s Everything Pet Expo nonetheless hummed with celebration. On display were died pom-poms, blurry terriers obstacle-coursing over astroturf pitches, prisoner-trained service dogs, and unsung heroes of several species. I interviewed a few handfuls of organizations that help humans and other animals assist each other through life’s trials.

Over the coming months I’ll be posting more photos, as I profile the most innovative and interesting of these groups. Stay tuned, to read what strokes of hardship and luck can befall unwanted foals, banned pitbulls, wheelchair-bound adults, retired racedogs, disabled children, and feral cats in the Tri-State area.

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Gamboling animals and fine design, with a cup of tea

The magic of Charley Harper’s wildlife paintings crouches between his precise descriptions of animals’ bodies, gestures, and personalities, and the baby’s-first-blocks simplicity of his style. If either geometry or animal-watching quickens your pulse, you might brave a touch of Stendhal Syndrome to visit a collection of Harper’s prints on display in O’Bryonville.

"Red and Fed" by Charley Harper

"Red and Fed" by Charley Harper

Pat Wynne opened The Coffee Shop on Madison in 2007, and decorated its walls with the 40+ prints he has collected by the Cincinnati-based painter, illustrator, and poster artist, since the early 80’s. To a Harper fan this permanent (though rotating) exhibit may be the best thing to happen since the Contemporary Art Center’s Harper retrospective closed in 2007, months after the artist died at age 84.

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