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.

Artboard 1

March 21–August 3, 2025

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Art Forum Gallery
3rd Floor

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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 rounds up a selection of pet themed art and historical photos from the MAH’s collection to celebrate our furry and feathery friends. Pets are many things to us: they are a mode of therapy, they are companions, and they help us connect with each other. Included in this exhibition will be gallery activities to honor our furry friends, as well as programming that invites you to explore why we love our furry family members so much, and why that’s important.

Header image: Bobbie from the Mattei Family Photo Album Collection in the MAH Archives

Meet the Curator

Sally I and dog

Curator

Sally Iverson

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Gallery

This is just a few of the many wonderful archival photos containing Santa Cruz's furry 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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