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In the wake of the recent ivory smuggling scandal at La Jolla’s Carlton Gallery, there’s something shocking in the reverence in the way the newest class of taxidermists — many of them young women — talk about animals, and their art.
Simone Weinstein, co-owner of Little Dame Shop on Adams Avenue, came to taxidermy as an expression of art three years ago, when she and her business partner Katie Howard opened their shop. They offer regular creative workshops, including taxidermy.
“It’s an art form,” Weinstein explained on a quiet Saturday evening in the shop. A white rat with a leafy branch between its teeth stands mounted on its hind legs on the shelf behind her, nestled between feminist zines, curiosities and more taxidermy. “With taxidermy, I feel the reason why people get kind of put off with it is it that it looks like the animal,” Weinstein said, attributing much of the eeriness to the eyes. “I feel the reason why we’re interested in it is because we’re kind of scared of it,” she said.
Taxidermy has a checkered but extensive history, with links to trophy hunting, natural history and art. The profession, however, is experiencing an uptick of interest among women, according to Smithsonian. Blending taxidermy with creativity and whimsy has bred a new class of taxidermists specifically interested in both ethical sourcing and the practice as an art.
“It’s anthropomorphic,” Weinstein said of the fantasy elements many artists incorporate. “I think it’s a way for people to connect to animals.” Weinstein also volunteers in the loan program at the San Diego Natural History Museum, maintaining its traditional taxidermy. “I almost get more intimidated holding and touching an animal that is properly sat in a position where they’re about to eat or about to groom themselves, compared to one of our animals that’s like, drinking tea,” she said.
Weinstein and Howard modeled their tiny shop with community workshops in mind; a large table with long benches fills much of the floor. Weinstein teaches taxidermy classes, and they also attract taxidermists from across the country to teach.
Weinstein speaks about sourcing animals with an earnest reverence. “We wanted to make sure that any animals that do come in, they weren’t harmed in any way. So for us, it’s important as animal lovers that the animals were respected before they come here,” she said.
Weinstein said that for her work, she receives deceased rodent pets from friends and acquaintances, but for their Little Dame workshops, where they need animals in greater quantities, they often use “expired feeders.” When animals bred to feed larger reptiles and snakes age beyond a date that would ensure their freshness, they are often discarded by pet stores, said Weinstein. “Which means that they would throw away the animals. So instead of the animals being thrown away, we taxidermy them,” she said.
Taxidermy collection and licensing laws are complicated and vary from state to state. California restricts collecting roadkill, for example.
Weinstein’s taxidermy students can, in one day: First, skin the animal – generally rats, rabbits (Weinstein calls them “bunnies”) or European starlings – by separating the skin from the animal at the membrane. The carcass and the bones are then discarded or buried in the ground, with occasional exceptions: Bird skulls are partially left to support the beak, and some tiny rodent paws prove too difficult to skin.
Next, students prepare the skin. A poorly cleaned animal will rot, shrivel and lose shape. Weinstein uses Dawn soap, Borax and denatured alcohol (“I wander around Target and I think, ‘I’m shopping for taxidermy supplies and nobody knows this,’” Weinstein said).
While the skin dries, students build a form out of foam or hay, then place the cleaned skin around the form, finishing the piece with beads for eyes, pins to create expressions and any extra accessories. In some Little Dame cases that’s unicorn horns, or a teacup.
For Weinstein, practicing taxidermy is a way of connecting with animals and with herself, as well as finding comfort in death. She also said that some of her favorite things to taxidermy are birds. “You never hold birds. You can’t hold birds because they fly away,” she said. “So when you’re taxidermying a bird, it’s like a surreal feeling. You almost feel like it’s a privilege to be able to do it.”
- Brooklyn taxidermist (and ethical sourcing advocate) Divya Anantharaman teaches a series of workshops at Little Dame in February: natural history shadowboxing, jackalope and rabbit taxidermy and sparrow taxidermy.
The First Text Message, a Kid Art Class and More News for the Culture Crowd
- This ethics in science lecture series at the Fleet Science Center, beginning Wednesday, looks fascinating.
- On Friday, UCSD’s “Indigo” looks to be a great sampling of the arts on campus.
- Saturday marks the monthly Barrio Art Crawl in Barrio Logan, and also the opening of the Sketch Party art show at La Bodega with hundreds of pieces created at local Sketch Party events.
- Send your kids back to La Bodega the next afternoon and, for the relatively low cost of $20, have them paint an original canvas and boom, grandma’s holiday present is taken care of and you get an hour of adult quiet time to eat tacos next door at Salud.
- There’s a new piece in the esteemed/notorious Stuart Art Collection at UCSD. Joining such pieces as Jenny Holzer’s “Green Table” and Niki de Saint Phalle’s “Sun God,” Mark Bradford’s piece, “WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT,” is a massive pole that transmits that first (ominous) telegraph message via flashing lights. Allegedly, at a reception with Bradford over the weekend, one student raised their hand with some feedback: the light is a bit too bright. The piece is the 20th addition to the collection. (UCSD News)
- In the interest of nepotism, if you want to know where I’ll be on Sunday, I’ll be reading alongside a bunch of other San Diego literary pals at Verbatim Books, celebrating the release of erstwhile-San Diegan Matthew Binder’s newest book. (CityBeat)
- On Tuesday, Dec. 11, Vanguard Culture brings a bunch of San Diego film community leaders together for a practical panel discussion on filmmaking and production ($10).
- CityBeat’s annual Fiction 101 issue is out, featuring very short stories and rad art to appease our fickle attention spans.
- Innovative dance performance Beyond Babel’s extended run ends on Dec.16. That means you have just over a week to catch what Kinsee Morlan said “could put San Diego on the map when it comes to urban dance.”
- Um, “Love, Actually” with the Symphony sold out.
- The city’s new director of the Commission for Arts and Culture, Jonathan Glus, discussed proposed citywide budget cuts. (KPBS)
December Nights Survival Guide
Friday and Saturday brings December Nights to Balboa Park for the 41st time. Forty-one is also how many times you’ll want to mutter “Oh my god, move” under your breath at the crowds.
But for those of you who love crowds and are going anyway (godspeed), here’s my advice:
- Plan your approach (psychological and transportation) in advance.
- Check out this official schedule of live entertainment to avoid aimless wandering.
- Skip the generic carnival food to save room for international specialties near the International Cottages. Big hits among people I know include the House of Palestine’s falafel, House of Puerto Rico’s papas rellenas (“basically marinated ground beef surrounded by mashed potatoes and then fried,” according to artist’s rights advocate Art Neill), and, of course, glog.
- Other highlights: free museum entry in many participating institutions, San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus, Civic Youth Ballet performs select scenes from “The Nutcracker” and House of Sweden’s Santa Lucia presentation in front of the Museum of Man.
- And speaking of Balboa Park, here are answers to all your pressing questions.
Tell us in the comments: What are your don’t-miss experiences at December Nights?
Food, Booze, Beer and Cannabis News
- The U-T just compiled a comprehensive roundup of area casinos, featuring special holiday programing, renovation news, and yes, wintry cocktails.
- San Diego beer people spout off about their most anticipated holiday beer pairings. (CityBeat)
- Hot dog lovers rejoice! (Eater)
- Take a stroll through the weekly Sunday street food market at Lane Field Park Market (I also didn’t know it existed). (Reader)
- Read our coverage of the stranger-than-fiction kidnap and murder plot scandal that very recently befell a local marijuana investor.