Bubba the Turtle and a Gecko Named ‘The Mayor’ Are the Latest Pets to Get Their Own Private Museums in a Marvelous Trend Sweeping the Globe

For many, pets are a necessary component of a happy and fulfilled life, and now, in locked-down households around the world, our feathered, furry, and four-legged companions have become the center of of those lives.

Earlier this month, the UK-based couple Filippo Lorenzin and Marianna Benetti caused an internet sensation with their Gerbil Art Gallery, which, as it sounds, was a miniaturized art museum they tailor-made for their pet gerbils.

Now, Jill Young, an actor and student from Dallas has decided to follow suit with a museum for her five-year-old crested gecko, named The Mayor.

The institution mirrors other blue-chip galleries, with traditional white walls to allow the hand-crafted paintings to shine. While many of the images in The Mayor’s show echo those of its gerbil forebear, including Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring and Munch’s The Scream, Young also branched out with some new animal interpretations, including The Birth of Venus and a rendition of American Gothic that’s reimagined as—you guessed it—American Gecko. 

Now, Young is sharing her talents with anyone who’s interested. She’s selling DIY kits on Etsy for others to make their own miniature museum. She’s also open to commissions if visitors want individual paintings featuring their own animals.

Another unusual pet who got his own museum recently is Bubba the turtle, who made a cameo on former professional football player George Foster’s twitter account. According to Foster, his daughter made a fully immersive art experience for her beloved pet, consciously set low to the ground so he could enjoy the works at his own level. Bubba’s installation included abstract renditions of Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss, and, in a nod to Bubba’s origins, Katsushika Hokusai’s The Great Wave made an appearance as well.

Bubba the Turtle enjoying his museum. Courtesy of Twitter c/o George Foster.

Bubba the Turtle enjoying his museum. Courtesy of Twitter c/o George Foster.

Bubba the Turtle enjoying his museum. Courtesy of Twitter c/o George Foster.