Poop! Giggles aside, on a Friday night my girlfriend and I drove to the newly opened Wanderlife Gallery in Philadelphia to check out its first exhibit, a photography series called Poopface: Dogs of Philadelphia. Beth Dombkowski, Wanderlife owner and admissions counselor at Rowan University, invited us to attend the gallery’s opening and we figured seeing such an offbeat exhibit would be a cool date night. We were right.
Over the past year Beth photographed dogs while doing their business. Captured on 35mm film and developed the old fashioned way, Beth sought to capture both the absurdity and odd vulnerability of her subject matter. A heartwarming story accompanied each pup’s photography, giving them just a bit more personality.
Beth considered the opening night of Wanderlife a huge hit. Over 100 people dropped in throughout the evening, including a couple of the dogs photographed. Special guests Marty, Watson, Frank, and Chibi dressed up in bowties and formalwear. The appeal of these puppies showing up to the event brought dog lovers, art enthusiasts and Philly residents together as a community. Heather Foster, an attendee, said the first night was “an awesome experience and amazing to see the dogs.” Other guests of Poopface began to pay attention to their own dog dropping their backyard gifts. Two of them, Wolfgang and Jaimie, started taking pictures of their four-year-old Black Labrador.
Beth says she is “thrilled to be part of the art scene” in such a productive city. Being part of Philly for 20 years, Beth appreciates the proximity of Rowan to Philadelphia – as do many students here, who enjoy nights out in the area.
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By: Justin Knecht
Senior, Communication major
Walnutport, PA (Northampton County)
