DORF Presents: DOG DAYS
Curated with love, Dog Days features 20+ Texas artists exploring the roles dogs play in our emotional landscapes—as muses, companions, and healers.
Victor lee - Cigarettes and Chocolate, 2023, Oil on Canvas, 30" x 40"
Opening Reception:
Friday, May 23, 2025 | 5:00–10:00 pm
Exhibition Dates:
May 23 – September 6, 2025
Location: DORF at Zilker Point, 218 South Lamar Blvd., Suite 140, Austin, TX 78704
Open Saturdays: 12–5 PM
DORF is pleased to announce Dog Days, a summer group exhibition exploring the deep, complex, and often healing bond between humans and their canine companions. Selected through an open call, the exhibition features over 20 local and regional artists whose work celebrates the role of dogs in our lives—as loyal friends, symbolic figures, protectors, muses, and sources of joy and grief.
While the term “dog days” historically referred to a season of heat, unrest, and misfortune in ancient Roman and Greek calendars, this show reclaims the phrase with a different perspective: that in a time of global uncertainty and rising temperatures, the steady, loving presence of a dog can be a grounding force—a source of comfort, stability, and meaning.
Curated by DORF founders Sara Vanderbeek and Eric Manche, Dog Days is also a personal tribute to their beloved dog Lu, who spent 14 years as their cherished companion before returning to the cosmos in 2022. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the emotional roles dogs play in our lives—how they rescue us, stay with us, and reflect our own humanity back to us in quiet and profound ways.
barndogz, still from music video
Participating Artists:
Barndogz, Steef Crombach, Armando De Lara, Michael Guerra Foerster, Megan Hildebrandt, Jules Buck Jones, Calder Kamin, Victor Lee, Stephen Longoria, Rebecca Marino, Eric Manche, Daniela Oliver, Chloe (CJ) Schemidt, Jessie Steinberg, Hiromi Stringer, Sara Vanderbeek, Katherine Vaughn, Jean-Pierre Verdijo, Dylan Warren, Alyssa Taylor Wendt, and Shelley Wood.
Youth Artists:
A special section of the exhibition features works by students, friends, and family of Sunset Valley Elementary, who were invited to contribute art inspired by the dogs in their lives. DORF extends special thanks to the families and educators who made this collaboration possible.
Hazel Bloomfield, Caroline Cerny, Julian Clements, Minerva Dever, Max Devlin, Lane Dickson, Sophia England, Perla Erven, Isabel Feliz, Cricket Furey-Marquess, Rooster Furey-Marquess, Ernie Hildebrandt-Abrami, June Hildebrandt-Abrami, Sammy Macioge, Florida Manche, Luna Noell, Charlie Phillips, Elliot Phillips, Emiliano Portillo, Rodrigo Portillo, Felicity Smith, and Avery Wilson.
Opening Event Highlights:
🐕🦺 Puppy and dog adoptions with the Austin Humane Society
🖌 Live dog portrait painting by Ami Plasse - RSVP signup coming soon!
🎧 Doggy dance party with DJ Dana Scully (Queer Vinyl Collective)
🐾 Leashed, friendly pups welcome!
Pet Policy:
The Dog Days exhibition and opening reception are pet-friendly. All socialized, well-behaved, and potty-trained dogs are welcome—as long as they remain leashed at all times.
Parking:
Paid parking is available in the Zilker Point garage (entrance on Toomey Road) at $5/hour (max $30). Additional public paid parking is available along Toomey Road west of the building.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This project has been financed in part by the City of Austin’s Elevate Grant Program.
Special thanks to our community partners: the Austin Humane Society and Sunset Valley Elementary.
ABOUT LU
𝘿𝙤𝙜 𝘿𝙖𝙮𝙨 is inspired by the life and love of a very good dog—Lu—who spent 14 years as a best friend, protector, and muse to Sara and Eric, and many others! Lu’s story is one of love, loss, and transformation—of being rescued and rescuing in return. This exhibition carries that spirit forward, honoring the dogs who have walked beside us, and the ways they remain with us always.
ABOUT DORF
DORF was founded in 2018 with a mission to build a village of artists, advocates, and innovators. DORF’s values of openness, intention, expression, and community have guided its programming, which includes exhibitions that tackle social justice, amplify marginalized voices, and foster meaningful dialogues.
DORF is committed to fostering equity and innovation in the arts. By supporting artists who are at risk of cultural erasure or displacement, DORF aims to shift the balance of representation within art institutions, offering resources and platforms to those historically marginalized.
We have received recognition in publications like Texas Monthly, Sightlines Magazine, The Austin Chronicle, Glasstire, Southwest Contemporary, and more, and received “Best New Experimental Art Gallery” in The Austin Chronicle.