A True Pet Memorial: Dog Mountain Art Gallery and Chapel

There's something remarkable about someone who loves dogs so much that he would create an art gallery and chapel devoted to them. Aside from the fact that his hand-carved furniture, sculpture, and woodcut prints are in the Smithsonian Institution, American Folk Art Museum, and in private collections worldwide, artist Stephen Huneck has also written six children’s books and two adult books including The Dog Chapel. A truly inspirational story that celebrates man and his best friend via pet memorial art, Huneck’s near-death experience turned into a soul lifting experience that has given joy to many over the years.

Nestled in the scenic landscape of St. Johnsbury, Vermont you will find Stephen Huneck's home and studio which he shares with his family, his wife, Gwen and his three dogs who enjoy playing on the 400 acre mountain-top farm, rich with wild life and trout filled ponds. He works in his private studio which is attached to their home, and nearby is Dog Mountain where the Dog Chapel is located. The artist can also often be found at his primary gallery in Woodstock, VT on Saturdays personalizing books and artwork.

According to Roberta Vesley, the library director of the American Kennel Club (AKC), "He is a strong believer in fate, and perhaps that is part of the explanation. There is no doubt that his figures are whimsical, amusing and charming, but they also have the power to evoke an immediate emotional response in anyone who sees them. Therein lies their wide and ever-growing appeal."

The whole thing started when Huneck acquired an often fatal disease known as Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome. In a coma for two months, the doctors gave him little chance of survival. After a profound near-death experience, he came out of the coma several weeks later. Once the artist was back home with his wife and three dogs, an idea popped into his mind -- something he simply had to do. Huneck was to build a chapel, one that celebrated the spiritual bond people share with their dogs. It would be open for dogs and people of any faith or belief system to visit.

He set about building a chapel on his mountain-top farm in St. Johnsbury, which he named Dog Mountain Art Gallery. Styled it in the manner of a small 1820s village church he wanted the chapel to appear as if it belonged with its setting of rolling mountains and pasture. The white steeple points up to the heavens, and on the top is a Lab with wings that turns in the wind and proclaims this place has a special affinity with dogs.

The sculpture garden in front of the chapel exhibits artwork in a breathtaking setting. Inside the chapel, beautiful stain glass windows provide inspiring light for visitors. The artist's dog carvings surround visitors, while music plays, with the intent of reaffirming the connection between art, nature, and spirituality. Huneck sees the chapel as the largest artwork of his life and it is his desire to make it a place that is both magical and transforming.

"I must say the near-death experience, combined with what my wife taught me about love, and the appreciation I felt toward the most basic things we take for granted all had a profound effect on me," said Huneck. "As an artist, I share the feelings I have with others through my art."

This story is a tribute to the love that millions of people worldwide share with their pets. As evidenced by Peternity.com, more and more people are honoring their pets upon their death by purchasing a pet urn, a pet memorial marker, or custom pet artwork to pay tribute their lives. Today, more and more people have pet funerals to celebrate the life of their beloved friends.

"The work of Stephen Huneck is like laughter; enriching to life and uplifting to the soul." -- Boston Magazine

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