by Rod Hughes

The art exhibit featuring an emaciated dog, which may or may not be dead, continues to cause an uprorar. (See newsfeed No. 1367)
The exhibition in Nicaragua of Costa Rican artist Guillermo “Habacuc” Vargas featuring a street dog he picked up in Managua, among other touches, may cost him a chance to appear on a panel of judges at the most important art show on the istmus, the Bienial Centroamericana Honduras 2008. This is because an Internet petition protesting his appearance signed by 62,331 persons was passed to the event’s directors. Habacuc was named to represent his country last September, after his controversial Managua art entry.

A Nicaraguan journalist consulted by the daily paper La Nación and an Internet blog by Rodrigo Peñalba assured the reporters that the dog died after a day, tied up at the exhibit. But a letter from the Códice art gallory’s director, Juanita Bermúdez, assured the paper that the dog escaped on the third day of the show. Habacuc refused to confirm or deny the death.

The stir caused by the story did not end with the petition. Costa Rican animal lovers, of whom there are many, studied a possible criminal action even though the alleged cruelty occurred in another country. Another blog picked up our article, resulting in numerous comments ranging from outrage to an “it’s just a dog” shrug.

The petition came from the Internet page www.petitio… and drew signatures from Spain, Brazil, Portugal, the United States, Belgium, Italy, Germany and, of course, Costa Rica.

by Rod Hughes

Only 19 pipe organs exist in this country and, currently, only two work properly. The rest are victims of disuse, the tropical climate and termites. (The rich lower tones of a pipe organ are produced by great square wooden pipes. The bellows that pump the air through the tubes also are prey to bugs, since many older organs have leather bellows.)

Enter French expert Bertrand Cattiaux and German organ builder Gerhardt Walcker who are donating their services to Catholic churches to restore their tired and, often, voiceless instruments. Cattriaux is renovating the Immaculate Conception Church’s organ that was imported into this country at the beginning of the 20th century.

Walcker is a descendant of the founder of the organ manufacturer that has produced 6,000 insturments since its founding in 1781. Nine Walcker organs exist here but he is dedcating his efforts on the Grecia church’s organ (imported in 1886), the Don Bosco church organ (1956) and the largest Walcker in the country in the Los Angeles Basilica (1958) at Cartago.

Besides having the backing of the French and German embassies, their work is supported by various private companies and the churches that own the instruments.

by Rod Hughes

Jaguar Cars and its parent company, Ford Motors, are donating $35,000 for environment projects in the Central American region. Jaguar is interested in the survival of the big cat after which the car is named and is offering $15,000 for projects to protect that endangered species. Only 50% of the graceful animals remain on the continent because of poaching and destruction of their environment in the past few years.

The Jaguar donation is aimed at Guetemala, Belize and Costa Rica where the big cats are endangered by illegal hunters after their beautiful pelts and by poaching of the wild pigs that constitute the jaguar’s prinicpal food. The vast majority of Costa Rica’s big cats live on the Osa Peninsula that sticks out into the Pacific Ocean from the country’s southern coast.

The Ford conservation prize of $20,000 is more general regarding environmental issues. Candidates must be registered by Nov. 30 at www.fondoja… or www.premios…