Public Art

Shelter 2003

San José Animal Care Center

Illustration View of Project
Illustration View of Project
Completed Project
Completed Project
Bioluminescent strips illuminate the 104 feet of the frieze.
Bioluminescent strips illuminate the 104 feet of the frieze.
Frieze detail.
Frieze detail.
Frieze detail with lighting.
Frieze detail with lighting.
Frieze detail with lucite letters
Frieze detail with lucite letters
Illustration of "sentinels"
Illustration of "sentinels"
View of Cat sentinel.  Made of painted granite with concrete base.
View of Cat sentinel. Made of painted granite with concrete base.
Frieze and dog sentinel
Frieze and dog sentinel
View of plaques in portico.
View of plaques in portico.
Hippolyte Taine quote
Hippolyte Taine quote
Shakespeare quote.
Shakespeare quote.
Manekineko origins.
Manekineko origins.
Chippewa story.
Chippewa story.
Kipling quote.
Kipling quote.
Russian space dogs story.
Russian space dogs story.
Wordsworth quote.
Wordsworth quote.
Plato quote.
Plato quote.
The Sentinels are dressed up for July 4th.
The Sentinels are dressed up for July 4th.
The Sentinels are dressed up for July 4th.
The Sentinels are dressed up for July 4th.

The San Jose Animal Care Center project consists of three projects located in the portico at the front of the building. A 104 foot long aluminum frieze is located atop the portico entrance, sweeping across the building in a long arc. The frieze depicts animals at play. The “lines” of the drawings are cut outs in the aluminum that are lighted from behind at night. In front of the building on either side of the entrance are two sentinels, a dog and a cat that sit atop concrete bases that are models of the animal care center buildings. The sentinel figures are made of a sandwiched material; two outside layers of granite with a middle layer of stainless steel. The figures are water-jet cut free-standing engravings. Along the inside of the portico are eight granite plaques attached to the portico columns. These plaques are stories, myths and aphorisims about cats and dogs.


The project serves many purposes. First, to identify the building from the street with a sense of the buildingʼs contents and its purpose. Secondly, to portray animal care as an essential human activity. And finally, to place the mythos of these pets in the minds of its patrons, to connect them to the long lineage of our connection with these beings.