Sugar's story
Patients and staff of Kalispell Regional Medical Center’s radiology wing will have the opportunity to get to know the subject of their newest art installation from nose to tail over the next year.
A cross between documentation and fine art, the collection entitled “Sugar Rising” portrays the life, adventures, struggles and triumphs of a dog named Sugar.
Captured by her owner, Lauren Grabelle, a professional photographer from Bigfork, each photo captures a different expression, posture or detail of Sugar’s story and personality.
Typical of the Weimaraner breed, Sugar’s sleek and slender gray figure and soulful eyes made her the perfect subject for the photographer who said she cannot stop staring at her.
Grabelle bought Sugar as a puppy from a reputable breeder in New Jersey during a time in her life when she said she felt most disconnected from nature amid the hustle and bustle of the crowded state.
She decided to open her home to a four-legged companion, and from day one, Grabelle said she was obsessed with her new best friend.
“She’s smart. She’s funny. She’s athletic. She’s more than just the outside,” Grabelle said of her dog. “She has helped keep me young.”
Five years later, Grabelle said she still felt stifled creatively and could see her high-energy companion struggling to cope in their densely packed environment.
Determined to find adventure and freedom, the duo packed up and headed west, settling in Bigfork in 2010.
Both muse and artist took to the Montana lifestyle instantly, exploring trails and parks across the state and beyond, and snapping countless photos along the way.
“I encourage her to be herself as a dog,” Grabelle said. “I let her explore.”
A drastic change from their life in New Jersey, Grabelle and Sugar found places where Sugar could roam off-leash for miles. The dog’s inquisitive nature and excitement at being outdoors showed in the photos their hikes produced.
Though she said she had no intention of making Sugar her muse when she got her, Grabelle said she almost couldn’t help herself when she realized how naturally Sugar behaved in front of the camera.
“She’s just as interested in what I’m doing as I am in what she’s doing,” Grabelle said.
The human-dog duo traveled across the western states, and from their adventures came a series of photos Grabelle calls “Sugar in the Landscape.”
Those photos, Grabelle said, show nothing but authenticity between she, Sugar and nature without any posing or planning.
In 2015, however, their days of exploring came to an abrupt halt when Sugar started slowing down and later began exhibiting signs of pain.
Two veterinarians diagnosed the otherwise healthy, active 10-year-old dog with arthritis associated with aging.
One day in September, however, Grabelle awoke to find Sugar completely paralyzed in her hind legs.
Unsatisfied with her previous diagnosis, Grabelle took Sugar to a third vet who then sent them to Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine for an MRI.
There, Sugar was diagnosed with discospondylitis, a staph infection in her spinal column.
After around two weeks of paralysis, Sugar was up and walking again after two days of antibiotics.
Grabelle documented Sugar’s journey, from decline to paralysis to recovery, through her photos, which inspired the “Sugar Rising” collection.
In 2017, “Sugar Rising” made its debut at the Animal Health Library at Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Grabelle’s first solo exhibition, “Sugar Rising,” now decorates the walls of the radiology wing of Kalispell Regional Medical Center, where it will hang for the remainder of the year.
Today, 13-year-old Sugar has slowed down, but her younger energetic self, runs and romps along the walls of the hospital in “celebration of the human-canine bond” that Grabelle said she experienced through her relationship with Sugar.
For more information about Grabelle’s work or the “Sugar Rising” collection, visit www.sugarrising.com.
Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.