B-52's Primate Paint Party at Spectrum Art Fair
Kate Pierson, veteran singer of the '80s band, shares that she's deeply passionate about the cause and her involvement in animal rights stretches back to 1988 when she graced the stage at the Washington Monument Animal Rights Festival, hand-in-hand with a giant chimp.
Pierson, famous for her iconic red rocket hairdo and the hit "LoveShack," is one of the founding members of the B-52s, a late '70s Athens, Georgia, music scene staple, as cited by Rolling Stone as the "epitome of a party band."
They stumbled upon Save the Chimps last year, following their chance encounter with the sanctuary's leader, Dan Matthews, who attended a concert and invited Pierson for a visit afterwards. The sanctuary covers multiple acres, boasting an array of lush greenery that serves as a haven for the affections.
"Some chimps climb, others lounge in hammocks – and others love to sketch," Pierson shared.
53 miles west of Venus, you'll find Pierson's piece titled "Footprints on the Ceiling," along with one from Cindy Wilson and a chimp named Malone.
To collect funds for the sanctuary, the collaborative artwork between the B-52s and Chimpanzee Artists will be exhibited at Spectrum Art Fair in Miami Beach on December 6. Priced between $1,000 and $5,000, several abstract group artworks will be available for purchase. All proceeds will go towards charitable causes.
The art fair coincides with Art Basel Miami Beach and Miami Art Week, two annual art and culture spectacles that draw hundreds of thousands of people from around the world to the coastal city.
With the influx of global elites visiting during this week-long festival, attracting attention is a challenge. Sponsors, retailers, and influencers pull all the stops, from custom hot air balloon rides to glitzy performances from Dita von Teese. But this event sets itself apart.
"We needed to come up with something truly unique to draw attention to people," said Dan Matthews, Save the Chimps head, to CNN.
Eric Smith, Spectrum Expo's owner, initially questioned Save the Chimps' presence at the fair, deeming it a feel-good gesture. Upon watching a video of Vanilla, an abused chimp who found solace behind the exhibit, Smith had a change of heart. "It touched my heart," Smith shared, who organizes five other art shows across the nation.
Smith shrugged off the discussion of the chimpanzee's paintings' artistic merit, Nicknamed the "Red Queen of the Rock-roll" by Rolling Stone, Pierson continues to draw people to the art world who might have otherwise overlooked it.
At 75 years old, Pierson finds herself in a renaissance alongside her fellow seventy-somethings, Cher and Dolly Parton. Their band wrapped up a residency at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas and played a dinner show at the White House in October. Despite announcing their farewell tour, they have plans to return for another show series at the Venetian in April 2024.
Pierson shared, "We never thought we'd continue and have a long career – we're still crazy enough to keep going ... we're not the hardest-working band in showbusiness yet."
She mentioned the unique blend of work and artistic expression, "Dan throws paintboards at us, and we paint on them," before dragging them to the theater for a performance.
As of now, Matthews has raked in $55,000 from the sales of the artwork on fairs in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Las Vegas.
Matthews observed that while not every chimp shows interest in painting, about one in ten is enthusiastic – and those who do paint take it seriously, citing Cheetah, a chimp in his forties, as one of the most passionate artists. He mixes colors carefully with a brush until he achieves the desired tone.
Chimp artists display varied styles, with some spreading paint on the canvas, others using their hands, feet, or brushes. Matthews noted that while other chimps occasionally heckled them while painting, they were respectful to each other's creative spaces.
Yet, every artist faces critique.
