Artisans at Rocky Hill is turning an area of its gallery into an unusual art space from February 5th through the 20th. Owners Anne and Barry Bradley are hosting “INSTINCT: The Art Of Chimpanzees.” The exhibition, mounted by Chimp Haven, The National Chimpanzee Sanctuary, in northwest Louisiana, features paintings of eight chimpanzee artists—each with a distinctive style.
The show will make its debut with a special public reception from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at the gallery at 234 West Main Street, Fredericksburg. In addition to showing the chimpanzees’ work, the gallery has asked local artist Melissa Starry to conduct a collage demonstration using the chimpanzees’ images and artwork.
“People will be surprised at what they see,” says Anne Bradley. “The paintings have character. You can distinguish the work of each chimpanzee.” “The purpose of the exhibition,” explains Dr. Linda Brent, President and Director of Chimp Haven, “is to showcase the unique paintings of our chimpanzees and provide insights on chimpanzee cognition and creative expression. Also, the show gives us the opportunity to encourage people to explore the nature of art.”
Chimp Haven staff will be on hand to talk about the artists who reside at the sanctuary—a retirement community for 125 chimpanzees retired from medical research or no longer wanted as pets or entertainers. The chimpanzees are given the choice of how they spend their days. Not everyone wants to make art. Only those who enthusiastically engage in painting will have the honor of showing their work at Artisans at Rocky Hill.
INSTINCT began its tour at the Barnwell Art and Garden Center in Shreveport in August. From there it went to New Orleans in October during the city’s “Art For Arts’s Sake” celebration. The exhibition is free and open to the public.
Chimp Haven, The National Chimpanzee Sanctuary, is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides a permanent sanctuary for chimpanzees no longer used for biomedical research, entertainment, or as pets. Located 25 miles southwest of Shreveport, LA., Chimp Haven opened its doors in April 2005. The sanctuary is now home to 128 retired chimpanzees.
