Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Local Art Seen: Waters Edge Animal Hospital

"Things are not difficult to make; what is difficult is putting ourselves in the state of mind to make them." ~Constantin Brancusi  

I recently visited the Waters Edge Animal Hospital and was so impressed by the art there that I asked for a small tour. The clinic, run by Dr. Tirzah Pop, features paintings by several artists as well as ceramic works, including pieces by her husband artist Silviu Pop of Romania.

The tour made me think how drab and ordinary this space would be without art. Instead, the art here transformed the clinic into a welcoming space. This was no longer a vet clinic or a box shaped brick building on a busy commercial road.

Once again I was affirmed of the need for artists to make our living spaces more inviting, but also the variety of other spaces we inhabit. They are an essential part of our lives in often quiet ways that we take for granted.

This is why we cannot cut the arts out of our schools or defund the arts in our communities. Who will make the paintings or design the interiors of our children's homes and businesses? It certainly won't be the engineers.

All this to say it was refreshing to see the cat room, the dog room, the bear room and the rest as I dropped off one of my own pieces, a print of my painting Dogs of War.

Coincidentally, today marks the birthday of Romanian-born sculptor Constantin Brancusi in 1876. Silviu Pop is himself from Romania. As an artist he has been a welcome addition to our Northland arts community. Both Tirzah and Silviu have big hearts, the kind of people who give back.

Check out their space. 332 East Central Entrance in Duluth, accessible from the highway as well as the frontage road behind. Pick up a business card while you're there. And if you need services for your dog, cat, goat or whatever... this is a good place to get to know.

Dogs of War
At my Many Faces of Ennyman art blog you can read the background on this piece, Dogs of War. A limited number of 18"x 18" giclee reproductions of this work are available for $200 each. Smaller sizes of the print may be purchased on request. 

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