COMPASSION
For the Animals Great & Small
August 12 - September 26, 2015
Artist:
Location:
Gallery 456
Exhibition Statement

COMPASSION: For the Animals Great & Small, an interdisciplinary project by artist Mary Ting opens on Wednesday, August 12, 2015, 6-8pm to coincide with World Elephant Day. In response to the current plight of elephants, rhinos, tigers, bears and other animals due to poaching for the Chinese market, Mary Ting has created COMPASSION: For the Animals Great & Small, an art exhibition and series of public programs to create awareness and promote change.

The exhibition, COMPASSION: For the Animals Great & Small features a series of drawings and an installation of recycled cardboard animal sculptures by the artist and her John Jay College students. Public programs will include weekend family arts and education workshops along with guest speakers from the Buddhist, traditional medicine and wildlife conservation communities. The closing day will conclude with an individual ivory crush. A detailed program schedule is forthcoming.

While China is considered the number one market in the world for illegal elephant ivory, few people realize that the number two market is New York. Most Chinese are also not aware that the ivory market is causing the deaths of 96 elephants per day and funding the terrorists groups in Africa. At this current rate, African elephants will be extinct within this decade due to the desire for ivory trinkets. Unfortunately elephants are not alone in this crisis, which includes the illegal harvesting of rhinos, tigers, bears, sharks, pangolins, turtles, vaquitas, and totoabas, among others for their body parts for use as decorative objects, luxury food products and traditional medicine.

For the artist, Mary Ting, “As Chinese people living in New York City it is imperative to educate ourselves and our children, refuse to buy or consume these products and show our compassion for these animals by valuing their existence as living creatures.“

Exhibition opening, August 12, World Elephant Day, 6-8pm
6:45 Lama Tsewang Rinpoche opening Buddhist talk
on Compassion and the Wildlife trade with Q&A
Sat, August 15, 3-5pm - Family Day - Animal arts & movement activities
Sat, August 29, 3-5pm - Family Day - Animal arts & movement activities
Sat, September 12, 3-5pm - Family Day - Animal arts activities (cancelled)
Fri, September 18, 7pm - Film Night with filmmaker Q&A, talks on traditional medicine
Sat, September 26, 3-5pm, Closing weekend - Performance by Red Silk Dancers

Exhibition Hours: Mon-Sat 12-5pm
Social Media & External Links
Coverage
FILM NIGHT & DISCUSSION 電影放映及映後座談
Animal Stories/动物的故事
[China Press] 丁维谨办个展宣传关爱动物
[SingTao] 丁維謹師生展 456畫廊舉行
Talk by Lama Tsewang Rinpoche/喇嘛財旺仁波切谈佛教观点
[SinoVision] 没有购买就没有杀戮丁维谨多维艺术展456画廊开幕
Program Flyer/活動海報
Press Release (eng)
中文新聞稿