Readers of this blog know that the turtles of our Chelonian
Connection lab for exploring turtle cognition have learned to draw by sliding
their beaks over vertically mounted paper and have presented demonstrations in
various venues. Tomorrow (Friday, August 1, 2014) is another such
demonstration.
A friend, knowing the turtles’ work, had suggested that we
submit turtle art to a call for a juried show, “The Magic and Power of Words,”
at the North Bank Gallery in Vancouver, Washington, in which art and words
relating to love would be integrated. Four turtles followed up the idea with two
solo drawings and one collaborative piece, and I submitted photos of the work.
Happily, two drawings were selected for the show—one by a pancake tortoise (one
of Willow’s daughters) and one by a box turtle (one of Diode’s daughters).
They
are quite good at drawing letters. The pictures were successful in my view, and
I framed the pictures and drove them to the gallery. I feel a bit anxious about
deciding we could let these original drawings be offered for sale. We have
offered some reproductions (at the OMSI science museum store and elsewhere),
but originals never before.
For Portland/Vancouver locals, here are the specifics about
the event.
North Bank Gallery, 1005 Main Street, Vancouver, WA 98660
5:00-9:00 p.m., with readings on the hour from five to
eight
Turtle demo at 7:00 or 7:10
