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Betsy the Finger-Painting Chimp remembered in art show

Press Release: "Baltimore's Betsy the Finger-Painting Chimp: A Retrospective of Her Work" is currently exhibited at the American Dime Museum, Baltimore, Maryland, from January 10 until August 31, 2004.

The exhibition includes 13 colorful finger-paintings by Betsy the Chimp (1951-60), the Baltimore Zoo's finger-painting primate during the fabulous fifties and is comprised of works on loan from the Baltimore Zoo and private collections as well as from the American Dime Museum's permanent collection.

Betsy's finger-painting attracted international attention in the 1950s; she appeared on network television and was profiled in numerous publications. While Betsy was alive and painting, the sale of her paintings generated $3,500 for the Baltimore Zoo and one of her finger-paintings was commissioned by the Winnipeg Tribune in 1957. Her obituary appeared on the front page of the Baltimore News-Post in February 1960 and described her as "the Picasso of the primates, the Jackson Pollack of the apes."

The American Dime Museum, founded in 1999, is the world's only exhibition space which recreates a 19th museum collection filled with whatever the public would pay ten cents to see. The American Dime Museum is open Wednesday through Friday, Noon- 3 pm and Saturday and Sunday, Noon- 5 pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children aged 6-12 and no charge for well-behaved children under 6. For more information, please contact Richard Horne at 410 230 0263 or dimemuseum@earthlink.net or visit www.dimemuseum.com

[01/18/2004]
Hours:
2007 - Closed - collection auctioned.
Status:
Gone

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