Bubba the Turtle and a Gecko Named the Mayor Are the Latest Pets to Get Their Own Museums in a Trend That’s Sweeping Locked-Down Homes

For many, pets are a necessary component of a happy and
fulfilled life, and now, in locked-down households around the
world, our feathered, furry, and four-legged companions have become
the center of of those lives.

Earlier this month, the UK-based couple Filippo
Lorenzin and Marianna Benetti caused an internet sensation with their Gerbil Art
Gallery, which, as it sounds, was a miniaturized art museum they
tailor-made for their pet gerbils.

Now, Jill Young, an actor and student from Dallas
has decided to follow suit with a museum for
her five-year-old crested gecko, named The Mayor.

The institution mirrors other blue-chip galleries, with
traditional white walls to allow the hand-crafted paintings to
shine. While many of the images in The Mayor’s show echo those
of its gerbil forebear, including Vermeer’s Girl with a
Pearl Earring and Munch’s The Scream, Young
also branched out with some new animal interpretations,
including The Birth of Venus and a rendition of
American Gothic that’s reimagined as—you guessed
it—American
Gecko. 

Now, Young is sharing her talents with anyone who’s interested.
She’s selling DIY kits on Etsy for others to make their own
miniature museum. She’s also open to commissions if visitors want
individual paintings featuring their own animals.

Another unusual pet who got his own museum recently is Bubba the
turtle, who made a cameo on former professional football player
George Foster’s twitter account. According to
Foster, his daughter made a fully immersive art experience for her
beloved pet, consciously set low to the ground so he could enjoy
the works at his own level. Bubba’s installation included abstract
renditions of Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss, and, in a nod
to Bubba’s origins, Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great
Wave made an appearance as well.

The post Bubba the Turtle and a Gecko Named the Mayor Are
the Latest Pets to Get Their Own Museums in a Trend That’s Sweeping
Locked-Down Homes appeared first on artnet News.