Dog Expo

Dog park beside Centennial Pool

Inspired by bringing two new furry friends into his family, multidisciplinary artist Zachary Gough’s Dog Art Expo blends a signature style of site-specific, participatory projects with a love for the canine community.

Before adopting his pets, Gough reached out to Jenn Corning, a trainer with dog care company Follow The Leader. He tagged along on her group walk with 10 sizeable hounds and became fascinated with Corning’s ability to “speak their language.”

“She was tuned in to all of them. They obeyed her every command.”

Their stroll quickly fell into a brainstorming session, and the duo have since been preparing their interactive Nocturne exhibit, which will include visual art (in blues and greens, as pups can’t see the red spectrum), video and plenty of smelly things for the sniffing.

“As an artist I respond to the context my work is presented in,” Gough explains. “Here, I’m working with the dog park, Nocturne as a festival, and gearing the creative experience towards all the cool dogs and people I meet at the off-leash areas.”

Dog Art Expo will explore the “pack mentality,” provide a sensory experience curated to Gough’s four-legged target audience, and promises to be an adorable time for dog lovers.