For the Love of Dogs

“I had such a wonderful time at Coffee Labs...presenting my performance piece called ‘For the Love of Dogs,’ wrote Marcy B. Freedman in an email to Patch yesterday.

We met Freedman, a Croton-on-Hudson performance artist, a few years back when she spent a few hours on Valentine’s Day at the former Eyebuzz Gallery. There she spoke intimately with strangers about their significant other and then made customized art in their honor.

In honor of this Valentine’s Day, she continued her series of works presented for free in public spaces by setting herself up at Main Street's social, if currently dogless, hub and invited the public, one by one, to talk with her about a dog they have loved. She took notes and then created a special valentine for the animal. 

"I was aware of the particularly special relationship between Coffee Labs Roasters and people who love dogs -- so the venue was selected for that reason," she said.

A sign hanging off the side of the table posed the questions curious onlookers would certainly ask: What is going on here? What is performance art? Why would an artist choose to work in this way?

Freedman offered this answer:

I am convinced that most of us are spending too much time in isolation from others, because we rely upon “virtual” forms of communication, such as email, texting, blogging, social networking, etc. I believe that humans need human contact, and therefore, I want to create situations that engage real people in real time and real space. In this particular performance piece, I will be exploring an additional phenomenon: the powerful and meaningful connection between humans and dogs.

Freedman's own human/dog connection is enduring: she has a 16-year-own pitbull named Stella, one of the stars of a video Freedman made with her partner Gene Panczenko in 2006 called Peekskill:The Movie. "It played at The Paramount and was well received. People loved Stella!"

Meanwhile, Coffee Labs is a fitting place for her work, named after dogs and fighting (again) for the right to give them access. (Around the corner, the owner of a doggy daycare would desperately like to open another location in Tarrytown. We will check in on her situation soon.)

On Causes.com, co-owner Mike Love created a page called Help Coffee Labs become the 1st official Dog Friendly coffee house on December 6, 2011, which, as of the next day numbered 209 members. Now there’s 696 members. Love who is always looking for media outlets to tell the story to, was happy to announce his interview on the WVOX 1460 AM station on Friday. He’s hoping to get friends of friends out there joining the cause, so they gain 1,000 names.

The Coffee Labs website optimistically offers, “DOG WAIVER PENDING check back soon.” 

Until the dogs return, at least folks are free to remember them, make art about them, and love them. Freedman was pleased with Sunday's turn-out: steady stream of people from age 8 to 78 to chat about their dogs. 

"I was very moved," said Freedman, "because I asked each person to chat about a beloved dog, and many people got a bit teary, recalling a dog from the past. Several people had photos to show me."

To join the dogs-at-Coffee Labs Cause, click here. 

You can write to Marcy B. Freedman at mbf@bestweb.net.