If you’ve been to Real Art Ways lately you may have noticed a hint of dander in the air thanks to the Cats in Residence exhibition. What the hell is up with that, you may ask. Well, it’s basically a pop up shelter in the gallery of Real Art Ways. I headed over there with the Farmer for the opening reception and ran into none other than CONNetic Dance’s Carolyn Paine while we were there. (Shameless plug: Get your tickets for the Nutcracker Suite & Spicy now!) You may have heard a rumor that she got kicked out of the cat habitat. I am here to confirm that it is true.
Cat art at Real Art Ways. I want one for my house.
The Cats in Residence exhibition runs until December 7, and as the cats get adopted new ones comes in. And they are getting adopted. One even got snapped up by Scot Haney.
As you might imagine, an art installation filled with homeless cats attracts some interesting folks, including one guy who was talking to the cats. I’m not judging, I talk to my cats all the time — even in their own language — but I try to limit that behavior to the house. And the woman who seemed to be the official cat wrangler was bearing what I assume were battle scars. As someone who has volunteered in many shelters, I can tell you a scared or pissed off cat is far more terrifying than any dog I’ve ever met — including the half-blind Shar Pei that charged me.
The cat whisperer.
There were some pretty cool cat toys in evidence. There was the ultra-modern equivalent of a standard cat condo, some sort of stair-like structure, and a big fancy version of a litter box in an old dresser drawer. It basically looked like a Japanese sand garden. There were kittens, older cats, and one cat that I was a bit suspicious of. While most of the cats seemed remarkably friendly there was one skittish cat with a clipped ear. Normally the clipped ear means the cat is part of a Trap-Neuter-Release program for feral cats, and the poor terrified little guy probably would have preferred to stay outside.
If cats aren’t your thing, don’t worry. There were other great exhibits at Real Art Ways, including New World of Deliciousness by Tanya Wolski. I want her painting of a cake for my kitchen. Here’s a little taste of what you can expect:
And now, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls… I present, Carolyn Paine’s pictures of cats!!
The CuT 