Menagerie Recap

This collection of moments captures life within Menagerie: Animals in Art at the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art, curated by Elizabeth Shannon, PhD, Collections Curator. The exhibition brought together a wide range of artistic perspectives exploring the enduring relationship between humans and animals, while inviting visitors to consider the many ways animal imagery shapes culture, identity, and daily life.

Featured throughout this video are artist visits by Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka, Craig Zammiello, and Zana Briski, whose unique practices offered students, faculty, and community members opportunities to engage directly with contemporary artists. Their visits fostered meaningful conversations about artmaking, storytelling, environmental awareness, and the complex connections between people and the natural world.

These moments represent more than individual events—they document a semester of learning, dialogue, and creative exchange. From guided tours and classroom visits to public lectures and focus groups, Menagerie served as a catalyst for interdisciplinary exploration and community engagement. Visitors were encouraged to examine how animals have been represented across centuries of cultural production, from mythology and folklore to contemporary art and media.

By exploring the symbolism, presence, and influence of animals in human societies, Menagerie challenged audiences to think critically about our relationships with other living beings. The exhibition encouraged a thoughtful and conscious understanding of the ways animals continue to shape our environments, our imaginations, and our everyday experiences.