Curator
HOWL: The Art & History of Pets
An exhibition featuring a selection of pet themed art and historical photos from the MAH’s collection to celebrate our furry and feathery friends.
Santa Cruz is a dog town. In fact the whole County welcomes furry visitors with open paws. We even have a beach devoted to our local four-legged companions.
This isn’t anything new. When going through the MAH archives, we couldn’t help but notice all the animals documented in old black and white photographs—dogs, cats, goats, and the random parrot. The MAH’s art collection also includes many animals as subject matter in the artwork.
HOWL invites our visitors to explore why we love our animal family members so much, and the historic relationship between people and pets. Artifacts and artwork in the exhibition explore complex themes such as how we grieve and remember our deceased pets, and the healing aspects of pet companionship, such as the sound of a cat’s purr, or a dog nuzzling at your feet. Ultimately, we hope this exhibition will invite you to “paws” and reflect upon your relationship to the animals that have had a significant impact in your life.
Header image: Bobbie from the Mattei Family Photo Album Collection in the MAH Archives
Meet the Curator
Gallery
This is just a few of the many wonderful archival photos containing Santa Cruz's fluffy friends
Bobbie the dog from the Mattei Family Photo Album Collection
Boy and black dog sitting on wooden plank from the Paul Johnston Collection, Collection number 86.10
Child and dog sitting together from the Paul Johnston Collection, Collection number 86.10
Boy and woman with dog, cat, and horse from The Stuart Baty Photograph Albums Collection, Collection Number 1999-22
Two girls with dog from the Paul Johnston Collection, Collection number 86.10
Woman with two dogs on beach from the Paul Johnston Collection, Collection number 86.10
Puppies sitting in a group from the Paul Johnston Collection, Collection number 86.10
Man and dog in front of dam from the Paul Johnston Collection, Collection number 86.10
3 kids on a donkey from the Margaret Koch Collection, Collection Number 1996-27
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