30 Oct Pup Art – Guide Dogs WA Art Exhibition
Guide Dogs WA proudly launched a new fundraising event at Central Park in the Perth CBD during the month of September, to raise awareness of Guide Dogs in the WA community. I was absolutely thrilled to be apart of this exhibit to help raise awareness of Think Fragile X in the wider community.
An exhibition of iconic Guide Dogs WA coin collection dogs as you have never seen them before were on show at the Perth UpMarket for a weekend in August and then moved to the foyer of the Central Park Building for ten days in September.
Like the Pop Art movement of the 1950s, the Pup Art exhibition makes reference to popular culture, mass production, comic book heroes, the everyday and the kitsch. Pup Art celebrates the history of the Guide Dogs WA coin collection dogs and the life changing impact of a Guide Dog on person with low vision. From a base of a blank plastic coin collection vessel each dog was transformed with love and skill by some of Perth’s most creative artists along with people everyday people like myself.
When I was invited to take part in this exhibition and turn an iconic coin collector dog into a work of art, the first thought I had was to turn him into a Super Hero.
Through my work with Guide Dogs WA over the last two years, helping them launch the Buddy Dogs for Kids program, I have had the opportunity to speak with many families who are given a guide dog or companion dog. The one thing that has always stands out to me is how they often refer to them as their hero, which I thought was just perfect.
I loved working on AXEL and watch him come to life as all the elements came together, it was a great way to let me creative side take over and just have fun. The boys loved watching me work on him and even ‘donated’ his mask and cape from their own collections.
His name means something very special to our family
A – Awareness
X – Fragile X
E – Ethan
L – Logan
After the exhibition all the Pup Art pieces went up for auction. I was so happy to hear that one very generous supporter purchased Super Pup AXEL for $1000 and is kindly donating him to the Perth Children’s Hospital play area. So be sure to look out for him the next time you are there!
