Credit: Courtesy of the Derek Hess Gallery
A renowned visual and tattoo artist, Sean Jason Kelly stumbled upon a dead dog along Train Ave. a few years ago. After he discovered the poor animal in a garbage bag, he found several more through subsequent months and years and began getting them cremated out of respect, so they didn’t end up tossed in a landfill with trash.

As the jars of ashes started to line up, he decided to incorporate them into his artwork, so he could tell their stories. Local filmmaker Jeff Theman (Guilty Till Proven Innocent) followed him around while he worked and has shot a documentary movie about Kelly’s artwork.

The trailer for the resulting film, Train Ave., will premiere on Sunday, Aug. 26, when Kelly’s exhibit, Dogs of Train Ave., opens with a reception that takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 26, at the Derek Hess Gallery.

The gallery has teamed up with Friends of the Cleveland Kennel, an organization that features a program that assists low-income families with pet resources. They’ll be on hand for the opening. Inspired by Kelly’s work, a new fund was started called The Dignity Endowment. It provides End of Life pet services to low-income households. There will be a couple volunteers with adoptable dogs for guests to meet, and they’ll also be on hand to discuss the organization’s different programs. 

This article appears in Aug 15-21, 2018.

Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 25 years now. On a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town. And if you're in a local band that he needs to hear, email him at jniesel@clevescene.com.

2 replies on “Local Artist to Open Art Exhibit About the Dogs of Train Ave. at the Derek Hess Gallery”

  2. I once saw some guys in the back of a truck dump a box onto the edge of the Shoreway, near what is now Battery Park. I stopped and retrieved it. The box contained a dead dog. This is a very sick town.

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