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Cyrus Mejia to Unveil "Ark," an Art Creation that Memorializes Best Friends' Animal Rescue Activities during Hurricane Katrina

An installation art creation that captures the drama of the rescue of dogs and cats following Hurricane Katrina will be unveiled Wednesday, Aug. 29 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary near Kanab, Utah.

Cyrus Mejia, noted artist who was among the early founders of Best Friends Animal Society, will show for the first time "Ark," a dramatic collage on canvas in the shape of a boat. It symbolizes in striking fashion the drama and emotion of the thousands of on-the-water rescues that extricated dogs and cats stranded in flooded residences.

The Utah-based artist has captured the fear, sadness, grief, and relief experienced by Best Friends' rescue teams and the animals they saved through 249 days of toil in post-Katrina New Orleans.

"It's a full-size, 4x10-foot replica of a flat-bottomed Jon boat decorated with items used in the rescueeverything from pet food and litter bags to the intake forms that included photos and information about each animal rescued," he said.

To simulate floating, Ark is suspended, while in the background are the sounds of lapping water and a dog barking in the distance.

Mejia, who was born in New Orleans and spent much of his youth in Louisiana and Mississippi, describes the piece as "interactive," in that he invited many of the volunteers who participated in the rescues to send in their own photographs, which are included in the collage.

"When you see the boat, the exterior surfaces are collage images representing the actual rescue in the flooded city," he said. "while the interior part of the boat contains images from the rescue center. It communicates the distinction from the chaos of the flood and the devastation on the outside, and the relative security of the sanctuary, which was the inside of the boat."

The bottom of the boat is collage using maps of New Orleans, such as those used by rescuers as they made their way through flood streets and alleyways. Also included in the collage are satellite maps of the storm itself. A mirror under the installation makes the bottom of the boat visible to viewers of the exhibit.

The work depicts the painstaking labor of assembling animal rescue teams, deploying it in harms way, and integrating staff with volunteers from across the country to save animals from suffering in conditions over which they had no control.

With more than 20 years of animal rescue experience, Best Friends runs the nations largest sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals, which covers thousands of acres in southwestern Utah.  Best Friends, whose motto is "making the world a better place through kindness to animals," ran its Katrina rescue operation from Tylertown, Miss., on the grounds of St. Francis animal Sanctuary. Best Friends also operated a second rescue shelter at Celebration Station in Metairie, La, near New Orleans.

"The sounds of water and dogs barking in our exhibit represent one of the most compelling stories heard during the rescue," Mejia said.

"The rescue boats would return at dark each day, full of dogs. Our rescuers said they could still hear distressed animals somewhere in the flooded, empty city, crying for help. But they could not go back.

"That story, for me, was emotionally overpoweringsomething I will never forget."

How to Get There:

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is located approximately five miles north of Kanab, Utah, approximately 90 minutes by car from St. George. For those attending the opening, it will be held on Kanab Canyon Road, approximately one-half mile past the Best Friends Welcome Center. It will be held in the yurt (temporary structure) that was used to house dogs rescued by Best Friends from Lebanon earlier this year.

About Cyrus Mejia

Cyrus Mejias work reflects his passion for animals, the earth, and his belief that compassion and kindness to animals are paramount. His work can be found in various private and public collections. Born in New Orleans, his mother was from Mississippi and father was from Colombia. He studied painting, drawing, and ceramics in Mississippi before traveling to Europe.

After spending several years abroad, a chance experience at a London research laboratory turned his attention to the plight of animals. In 1984, Mejia and his wife, Anne, were part of a dedicated group of animal-loving colleagues who formed what was to become Best Friends Animal Society. They live in the town of Kanab, Utah, near the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary with their large family of dogs and cats.

For more information on Cyrus Mejia visit: www.cyrusmejia.com

About Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends Animal Society operates the country's largest sanctuary for homeless animals and is home, on any given day, to about 1,500 dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, birds, and other animals. Best Friends works globally with animal shelters and rescue groups to bring about a time when there will be no more homeless pets. Best Friends advances initiatives nationwide that promote community approaches to make the world a better place through kindness to animals, including adoption, spay-neuter, and humane education programs.

For more information visit: www.bestfriends.org

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