LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 31: Kate Pierson of The B-52s hosts the art exhibit, "The B-52s and Save the Chimps Wild Planet Collection," at The Punk Rock Museum on August 31, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the exhibit's acrylic paintings, sold to benefit the Save the Chimps sanctuary in Florida, the band painted the base coats and then chose color combinations for chimpanzees to use based on some of their album covers.
Art has no place for "monkey business," right? Well, the legendary pop group B-52s, known for their earworm "Love Shack," begs to differ as they collaborated with the rescue sanctuary "Save The Chimps," employing the artistic services of some talented chimpanzees for their interspecies art project "Wild Planet."
The project was a result of over half a year's worth of effort between the pop group and the rescue sanctuary and is also named after the B-52s' second album. Comprising over 52 acrylic pieces in varying sizes, the collection's artworks are priced from $1,000 to $5,000 and initially sold at the Spectrum Art Fair before it was all exhibited in Art Basel Miami starting last Thursday, Dec. 7.
According to the pop group's Instagram post, their project had already experienced huge success with 24 of the 52 paintings already sold. They also mentioned that all proceeds will directly benefit the chimps at the Florida sanctuary.
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How 'Save The Chimps' and the B-52s Linked Up for the 'Wild Planet' Project
Kate Pierson, one of the legacy members and singers of the band, told CNN that her advocacy for wildlife was a part of her identity from the start, citing one particular moment during her performance at the Animal Rights Music Festival in Washington as a core "surreal" memory. Pierson said that she got to "hold the hand of a big chimp" up at the stage and that she "felt a connection."
The group was introduced to the sanctuary after its director, Dan Mathews, went backstage to meet the members after a concert last year where he invited Pierson to meet with one of the chimps. Pierson described the sanctuary as vast and rich with vegetation, a verdant home for its apes.
"Some of them climb, some of them like lolling around in hammocks - then there are the chimps that want to paint," Pierson added.
Mathews explained that not unlike humans with personal proclivities when it comes to hobbies, only about 1 out of every 10 chimps at the Florida sanctuary are fond of painting, but all of these art enjoyers are serious about art.
One particular chimp named Cheetah, who is about 40 years old, reportedly mixes his paint with complete focus and stirs diligently until he gets his desired pigment. Mathew added that each chimp has their own style, some would splash hues on the canvas, while others prefer a more controlled approach with their hands, feet, or brushes.
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