"The Emotional Animal" is the third core exhibit in Clay Art Center’s year-long gallery focus, "Animal Instinct," exploring the animal kingdom. This exhibition examines how animals are our bond to nature and are all around us – they are a part of our daily lives whether in our homes or in the wild. Animal inspirations abound in literature and in the visual arts and are often used anthropomorphically to reveal, reflect, and elaborate upon our own human nature. From prehistory to the conceptual works of Damien Hirst's sharks in tanks, artists have used animals as symbols and sources of inspiration and metaphor. This is a national, juried exhibition guest-curated by California artist Crystal Morey.