A new art exhibition in Chico is celebrating a favorite household pet.
The 1st Annual Northern California Mock Cat Show is now on display at the 1078 Gallery. The exhibition showcases more than 100 artworks portraying the beloved feline.
Exhibition Committee Member and Curator Mariam Pakbaz has spent more than a year working on the show.
"I just wanted a variety of different types of media from artists of all ages," Pakbaz said. "Anybody with any experience level so we could get the widest variety of cat depictions, whether they're 2D, 3D, fiber, oil, acrylic, mixed media, or anything and everything."
From ceramic sphynx cat sculptures to a painting of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg with cats, there's something for everyone at the exhibition.
“I think people who have come have come away feeling pretty happy that they saw all these cats,” Pakbaz said.
The idea for the show came to her years ago, but Pakbaz's inspiration began in early childhood.
She said she got her first cat in 1997. She was browsing through the classified ads advertising kittens and her mother told her that if she wanted one, she should call. By the time she called, there was only one orange kitten left. She took the kitten home and named it Peaches.
“That was the beginning of 17 years of having really fun adventures, a good companion, an adorable pet and an adventure buddy,” she said. Pakbaz has carried her love of cats into adulthood — she now has six cats.
The art exhibition was another way to share her love of felines with the community. The exhibition, which went up in early October, is already turning heads.
“One of my friends put it in a really good way. He said, ‘When people come in here, they usually get coffee and then look at the art, but this time, people have been looking at the art, then getting coffee.’”
There will be a reception for the exhibition on Oct. 25, featuring a performance by Chico musician Cat Depot. There will also be a ribbon ceremony that evening to award gallery favorites. The show closes on Oct. 27.
