During Upstate Art Weekend, Magazzino Italian Art in Cold Spring hosted a kick-off party that was attended by a variety of guests, including founders Giorgio Spanu and Nancy Olnick. Platters of prosciutto, Parmesan, and pickled vegetables were enjoyed under a large white tent while DJs played Italian dance music. However, some guests took a break from the festivities to visit a barn on a nearby hill where 14 Sardinian donkeys were grazing or standing quietly. One partygoer excitedly waved her hand inside their enclosure in an attempt to get the donkeys to come over for scratches, but they seemed unimpressed.
The presence of Sardinian donkeys at Magazzino Italian Art has become almost as well-known as the artwork itself. As a native of Sardinia, Spanu has fond memories of these donkeys, which play an integral role in everyday life on the island. When Spanu and Olnick established Magazzino to showcase postwar Italian art, they never expected that the donkeys would garner so much attention.
Sardinian donkeys are small in size and have a rough gray coat with a black cross on their backs. While they may have a reputation for stubbornness, Spanu describes them as having a sweet temperament. These donkeys have a gestation period of 11 months and can live up to 50 years. At Magazzino, they are fed hay year-round and receive a serving of grain and sweet feed during the winter. Interestingly, the donkeys dislike water and seek shelter as soon as it starts raining.
Spanu grew up in Masua, where donkeys were a common sight. They were used to transport goods and people, grind grain, and extract olive oil. Spanu recalls children pushing the donkeys uphill to help them on their way back to the village. The donkeys were a vital means of transportation in a time when other options were scarce.
The journey of the Sardinian donkeys to Magazzino began when Spanu and Olnick purchased a weekend home in Garrison to expose their children to nature and animals. In 1994, when their daughter Stella was born, Spanu decided to buy two donkeys from Sardinia. However, because they were classified as endangered, exporting them was not possible. Spanu persisted and found that a group of Sardinian donkeys had been shipped to New England in 1936. The family who imported them later relocated to Texas. Spanu stayed in touch with them and, in 1998, he brought a breeding pair of donkeys, Chip and Voyle, to New York, along with Arabian stallions bound for Millbrook.
Chip and Voyle, along with their descendants, lived in Garrison for 20 years until the donkeys’ braying caused complaints from a neighbor. To address this issue, a barn was built at Magazzino, and the donkeys were relocated in 2017. The herd has grown to 18 at times but currently stands at 14. Some of the donkeys were given to Tilly Foster Farm for use in an animal care program, while others were placed on local farms to protect chickens from coyotes.
All of the donkeys at Magazzino have names starting with the letter “D,” except for Max. Max was named after a farmer’s dog who tragically passed away on the same day he was born. As part of a Magazzino program, artist Namsal Siedlecki created a site-specific sculpture for the museum using coins collected from the Trevi Fountain in Rome. The sculpture was meant to be temporary but ended up being donated to the donkeys, who seem to appreciate it by eating the food placed within it.
In conclusion, the Sardinian donkeys at Magazzino Italian Art have become an unexpected attraction that adds to the charm and uniqueness of the museum.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
