Current Exhibitions
Dogs of Tibet
Holy Dogs, Holy Land: Constance Coleman’s Tibetan Journey
When Constance Depler Coleman achieved the lofty summit of her eightieth
year, the matriarch of modern dog portraiture put down her paintbrush and
(one might say) put her head in the clouds. She announced to a dumbfounded
family that she was bound for the mountains of Tibet. A two and one-half-week
National Geographic expedition to Tibet led by Ian Baker, author of The Heart
of the World, struck her as the perfect opportunity to realize a lifelong
dream she had held dear for more than sixty years.
Once her family recovered from their shock at the news, Ms. Coleman admits
that it took a bit of finesse to calm their concerns about her health and
safety while traveling halfway around the world and to the very tip-top of
it (three miles above sea level, for goodness’ sake!). When her daughter
agreed to accompany her on the trip, a happy détente was reached. And
with that, a new chapter in Ms. Coleman’s life and career began to
unfurl like a prayer flag on a Tibetan mountaintop. As they started out on
their Tibetan journey, Ms. Coleman remembers thinking, “How can I turn
this into my work?” The Museum is privileged to showcase the unfolding
of her new direction with the exhibition dedicated to her Tibetan odyssey
in Dogs of Tibet opening in March.
More than a half-century ago, Constance Depler Coleman combined her love
of dogs with her art in a lighted-hearted manner and broke new ground in
the field of dog portraiture. Her well-known 1950s playful caricatures of
humans portrayed as dogs sitting at bars, playing poker, or dancing the night
away in fancy nightclubs are highly sought collectibles today. Over the years,
Ms. Coleman built her stellar reputation in commissioned animal portraiture
and became known for her ability to expertly capture the personality of a
beloved animal companion with her brush and sensitive eye for detail, color,
and setting. She stands out as one of the premier artists of dog portraiture
today, counting among her clients Oscar de la Renta, Lilly Pulitzer, and
Oprah Winfrey. Her recent commissioned portrait of the pair of White House
Scotties, Barney and Beazley, is now a part of the Museum’s permanent
collection.
Ms. Coleman’s involvement in the dog world has always been more than
a purely artistic one. Over the years, her continued support of humane and
medical efforts for dogs and other animals has not gone unappreciated. Not
surprisingly, therefore, one of the first things that struck her when she
reached Tibet was the “real communication—the connection—that
exists between the people and their dogs.” She recognized a quality
mirrored in the Tibetan people and their animals. “The Tibetans are
such lovely, serene, calm human beings,” she says. “I was amazed
at their mellowness. And their dogs are that way. They were the most laid-back,
sweet dogs.” Even the Tibetan Mastiffs Ms. Coleman encountered guarding
the monasteries and houses in Tibet surprised her by their even-tempered
nature. “They are strictly guard dogs, and they will stand up at a
gate and begin ‘woof-woofing’ at an intruder,” she says. “They
will put on a big display. But once the person passes by, they simply lie
down again. They don’t get excited. I never saw any viciousness in
their animals.”
Dogs do play an integral role in the nonviolent Buddhist culture of Tibet.
For thousands of years, the monasteries in Tibet have raised and cherished
dogs as animals particularly worthy of reverence. The Lhasa Apsos and Tibetan
Spaniels peering out of a monk’s sleeve or perched on satin pillows
are believed to be the reincarnation of monks who have not yet reached nirvana.
According to tradition, these dogs were never to be bought or sold, and only
rarely traveled to new homes as the rare and precious gifts of a lama.
Ms. Coleman did not encounter the pampered and purebred pets one might expect
to find in a land attaching so much heartfelt significance to its canine
companions. Instead, what she found in Tibet were native mixed breeds everywhere,
from medium-sized shaggy dogs uncombed and bedecked with bells and red collars
happily trotting along on leashes beside their masters, to a Pomeranian mix
she found in a tent cozily ensconced on a pile of quilts. The doyenne of
the classic dog portrait was charmed. “In Tibet,” says Ms Coleman, “dogs
look like dogs.”
Ms. Coleman was fascinated by the other animals she encountered in Tibet
as well. “The yaks, the funny little black pigs, the goats, the sheep,
the donkeys, the ponies, and the chickens—they come in every color
you can imagine!” To an artist with a love of color and humorous detail
she delighted to find that the Tibetans shared it as well. “They decorate
their animals with ribbons and flowers. And they have now even started
decorating their latest form of transportation—their motorcycles!”
Back in the States, Ms. Coleman and her daughter soon made plans for their
return to Tibet. For the first time in her illustrious career as a commissioned
artist, Ms. Coleman was about to embark on a project all her own. On a second
trip to Tibet in the fall, she and her daughter spent a month in the Kham
region, meeting more of the gentle people of Tibet and their animals. Ms.
Coleman’s daughter spent time distributing funds she had raised in
the States to benefit the needy children they had encountered on their first
trip, while Ms. Coleman continued her quest to find out more about the people
of Tibet and their relationship to their animals. The pictures she took and
the images in her mind, the stories she heard, the people she talked to—all
will find their way to her canvas in the pen and ink drawings and colored
pencils and pastels of Tibetan animals that will make up the March exhibition
of her work at the Museum. She hopes to take this project and her love for
Tibet, the Tibetan people, and their animals even further. “This exhibit
is the first step. The project is evolving,” she says. Of course, another
trip to Tibet is a must, and she hopes that a book on Tibetan people and
their animals will materialize sometime in the near future.
Like the Tibetan prayer wheels the Lhasa Apsos and Tibetan Spaniels reputedly
helped the monks of Tibet turn with their paws, there is no doubt that Ms.
Coleman’s own version of a Tibetan prayer wheel will have all the help
it needs to keep it spinning—as she continues to capture on canvas
the joyous spirit of Tibet’s holy land and its “holy dogs.”
Dogs of Tibet opens in the Special Exhibit Gallery on March 7 and will be
available to visitors through May 7.


Ms. Coleman found women the world over share a common
bond. “We’re all interested in what each of us is wearing,
what jewelry we have on, and we are curious about these things. This
is just as true of the women of Tibet as women anywhere. It was
a common sight to see a group of ladies sitting together on a curb dressed
in colorful clothing,” recalls Coleman. “This gathering of
Tibetan women in their unique hats somehow reminded me of the Red Hat
ladies in America.”

One-Day Fun Day
June 12
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
for kids of all ages
$25 registration fee for each child
(moms and dads, free admission)
Meet the Guest Dogs
Sidewalk Chalk Drawing
Lots of Fun Games
Kennelwood Village demos
Picnic Lunch
Take-Home Free Goodie Bags filled with fun "stuff".
Call the Museum at 314-821-3647 for further information.

