Life-long dog lover, David York has been collecting and receiving pup-themed art and memorabilia for decades. Rather than put his collection in storage when he sold his Connecticut home, he decided to share it with the world.
During his real estate search, York fell in love with the Berkshires and North Adams.
“I’d visited Great Barrington and other parts of the Berkshires," he told Boston.com. "While I was considering accepting the offer on my Connecticut house, I visited North Adams to see the new addition of Mass Museum of Contemporary Art. I was so impressed with the new Building 6 and the other projects underway in the area, I decided it would be a perfect home for my next venture.’’
He settled on a cozy location on Union Street and began designing the Museum of Dog!
The space opened its doors in March and features paintings, sculptures, and unique pieces like a pair of century-old dog collars and canine-shaped cufflinks.
York has an extensive collection of photographs by William Wegman, famous for photographing Weimeraners, as well as sculptures by Mary Engel and Kathy Ruttenberg.
Upcoming exhibits include Seismic Dogs of New Madrid, a tribute to the earthquake recovery dogs that selflessly risk their lives to find survivors following disasters; and Chew, which will feature a collection of gnawed objects created by real dogs and submitted by their humans.
Sadly, the Museum of Dog is not open to the very species it was created to honor, but does offer special dog-friendly tours from time to time.
Human guests can make their way to 55 Union Street on their own or hitch a ride in one of York's two custom limousines, emblazoned with car-length dachshund silhouettes!
Museum hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. Admission is just $5 for adults and $1 children. Learn more about the exhibits and their history by visiting www.museumofdog.com