“DANGER DOGS – Folk Art from the Himalayas” is the creation of Michelle Page of Santa Monica, who became intrigued by hand-painted metal “Beware of Dog” signs adorning gates in Nepal. She decided to promote a fair trade art project featuring these charming paintings and save a dying art form.
After 25 years in the film business as an assistant film editor on such movies as Sam Ramie’s Spider-Man trilogy and Bob Altman’s ‘The Player’, Michelle opened her business in 2007 after noticing inexpensive digitized computer-generated graphics were beginning to replace hand-painted signs. She feared the art and expertise the artists employ would soon be lost to modern technology.
Through her efforts, Michelle is effectively saving their livelihoods, one “Danger Dog” at a time to the delight of pet-lovers everywhere.
The signs are also available for purchase in art galleries in Los Angeles, the Craft and Folk Art Museum shop in Los Angeles, and at the Santa Monica Museum of Art at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. They are also available at shops in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Texas, Cambridge and Manhattan. See the Dogs Live!
This hand-painted art form is fast disappearing in Kathmandu, as it already has in most parts of the world. I pay fair trade wages, the artists get to paint again, pet lovers get a choice of three paintings for each commission, and I get to help Nepali artists make a living. Everybody is happy. Rescue dogs from America get to rescue artists from Nepal!
