{"id":640052,"date":"2026-08-16T11:44:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T11:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/640052\/"},"modified":"2026-08-16T11:44:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T11:44:14","slug":"ct-art-gallery-going-to-the-dogs-with-exhibit-exploring-canine-imagery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/640052\/","title":{"rendered":"CT art gallery going to the dogs with exhibit exploring canine imagery"},"content":{"rendered":"

Michael Morgan<\/a> knows that \u201cDeus Ex Bark-ina,\u201d<\/a> the title he gave the dog-themed group exhibit he\u2019s curating for the Ely Center of Contemporary Art in New Haven<\/a>, sounds silly. He was searching for a deliberately \u201cclunky\u201d phrase that would make the show seem exciting, accessible and fun, as he had done for a previous cat-themed exhibit in New York state called \u201cMagnum O-Pspsps.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to make it serious but also seem unserious,\u201d the curator said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeus Ex Bark-ina\u201d is a play on the ancient Roman theater phrase \u201cdeus ex machina\u201d or \u201cgod out of machine. It\u2019s the point in a play where a miraculous event occurs, usually to wrap up the plot. Morgan liked the element of surprise inherent in the title since there are unexpected elements in some of the dog art. He also argued that the common idea of dogs rescuing humans, whether through protective instincts or psychologically through loyalty and comfort, are similar to what the gods do in those ancient dramas. He also wanted an onomatopoeic dog sound like \u201cbark\u201d or \u201carf\u201d in the title. Finally, he likes having \u201cdeus\u201d in there because \u201cdog\u201d spelled backwards is \u201cgod.\u201d<\/p>\n

When assembling the dog art, Morgan knew he had to keep the artists on a fairly short leash. He wanted to avoid \u201codes to lost pets\u201d or work that was more tribute than art. \u201cI said \u2018I don\u2019t want photos of pets, or paintings of photos of pets. I reached out to artists I knew personally, or artists I knew used dogs in their works,\u201d he said. Images of dogs who were close to the artists were allowed but needed to have a high artistic purpose. Of the dozens of works in the show, only a couple involve photographs.<\/p>\n

\"Pierce<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Pierce Kinnally<\/p>\n

Pierce Kinnally’s acrylic on wood painting “Eschatology and Genesis Pt. 1” is on view in the “Deus ex Bark-ina” exhibit. (Courtesy of Pierce Kinnally)<\/p>\n

Some of the artists had shown work in the \u201cMagnum O-Pspsps\u201d exhibit, but Morgan understood that in art as in life there are \u201ccat people\u201d and \u201cdog people.\u201d Regarding how artists might use animals as subject matter, Morgan mentioned the oft-stated belief that \u201ccats are our connection to the spiritual world, while dogs are our connection to reality.\u201d He noted how dogs \u201chave been canonized in paintings from the Greco-Roman era,\u201d shown as symbols of heroism and loyalty,\u201d and how they tend to be depicted differently today. \u201cNow we think of them as more cavalier, more about community and groundedness.\u201d Whatever the connection, dogs have inspired artists for centuries. \u201cIf you think about Aesop\u2019s fable,\u201d Morgan said, \u201cdogs have been fodder for allegories since forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morgan knew from his cat art experience that asking artists \u201cWhat would your dog-centered art be like?\u201d is \u201ca question you can\u2019t ignore.\u201d He described inviting the artists, which he started doing over six months ago, as \u201ckind of like throwing a party \u2014 you\u2019re having cool and interesting people over, but there\u2019s also a theme they\u2019re all passionate about.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for his own interest, Morgan said, \u201cI grew up with dogs. My family has always had dogs.\u201d Morgan is also an oil painter and sculptor and may have his own dog-themed piece in the show \u201cif there\u2019s room for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Marissa Cote<\/p>\n

A detail of Marissa Cote’s “Score for Paws” at the Ely Center in New Haven. (Courtesy of Marissa Cote)<\/p>\n

Over 50 artists contributed work to \u201cDeus Ex Bark-ina.\u201d A number of them have ties to Connecticut. Emilie Louise Gossiaux is a painter and sculptor who is blind and creates work inspired by her seeing eye dog. Gossiaux has a master\u2019s degree from the Yale School of Art and had work in this year\u2019s prestigious Whitney Biennial exhibit in New York City.<\/p>\n

Another Yale School of Art graduate, Kati Gegenheimer did a colorful painting of her patient pet lying on a welcome mat, \u201cMars at the Door,\u201d which Morgan said is \u201creally cute\u201d but also has a \u201cbarbarians at the gate\u201d vibe. The dog depicted in the painting, Mars, is rescue dog from Hartford.<\/p>\n

Douglas Degges created art out of chewed dog toys, and Lesley Finn mounted a collage of archival papers on a wooden board.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a range of styles and media in the show, from an abstract steel doghouse sculpture by Noel Neri to Hyunjin Park\u2019s skeletal mixed-media assemblage \u201cThree bodies of Cerberus,\u201d which incorporates a dog skull. Marissa Cote, an Ithaca-based artist who also contributed to \u201cMagnum O-Pspsps,\u201d designed the 6-foot-tall \u201cScore for Paws,\u201d which resembles a large stringed musical instrument.<\/p>\n

Walls have been constructed to divide the gallery space so \u201cit\u2019s not too cluttered,\u201d Morgan said and so \u201cthe two dimensional works can be in conversation with the sculptures.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"One<\/p>\n

Courtesy of Dougles Degges<\/p>\n

One of the used dog toys that constitute Douglas Degges’ piece in the “Deus ex Bark-ina” exhibit. (Courtesy of Dougles Degges)<\/p>\n

Morgan just got his master\u2019s degree for Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and is still based there. He got to know the Ely Center when it recommended artists for \u201cMagnum O-Pspsps.\u201d When the idea of a canine follow-up came up, the center expressed interest in hosting it.<\/p>\n

The Ely Center is currently in a transitional period but has been a central part of the arts community for over 60 years.<\/p>\n

Last year, the Ely Center left the building for which it was named, the John Slade Ely House, on Trumbull Street in New Haven\u2019s arts district. The Ely House had been a private home whose owner left a trust for it to become a nonprofit arts center and gallery space when she died in 1959. The Ely Center became the headquarters of local painting and sculpture clubs, which had been around since the 1910s.<\/p>\n

The arts community almost lost the Ely House building over a decade ago but forestalled a bank takeover. Last year, a move became inevitable. The center is currently located in the offices of CitySeed, the organization that runs several farmers markets in New Haven, at 162 James St. in New Haven.<\/p>\n

\u201cDeus Ex Machina\u201d is all about dogs. Will it be seen by dogs? \u201cI don\u2019t know if dogs will be allowed,\u201d Morgan admitted, \u201cbut I know that for the closing reception, we are looking to have dogs that are available for adoption.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDeus Ex Bark-ina,\u201d curated by Michael Morgan, is on view from Aug. 16 through Sept. 13 at the Ely Center of Contemporary Art, 162 James St., New Haven. There is a closing reception on Sept. 13 from 3 to 6 p.m. Visiting hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. or by appointment. elycenter.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Michael Morgan knows that \u201cDeus Ex Bark-ina,\u201d the title he gave the dog-themed group exhibit he\u2019s curating for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":640053,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[267],"tags":[595,365,362,363,364,218015,366,270756,270757,15925,18,270755,117,38394,19,17,153398,2577,7601,9852],"class_list":["post-640052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-art","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-ctnow","tag-design","tag-deus-ex-bark-ina","tag-dog-art","tag-dogs","tag-eire","tag-ely-center-of-contemporary-art","tag-entertainment","tag-hartford-courant","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-new-haven","tag-painting","tag-sculpture","tag-things-to-do"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117105018106494422","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/640052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=640052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/640052\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/640053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=640052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=640052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=640052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}