Ew, Gross! is a circus of ugly, bizarre, and under-rated animals who rarely see the spotlight. It consists of a performance and demonstration led by the ringleader (Lauren Hemphill) along with a cast of highly stylized animated animal characters. Ew, Gross! is a senior thesis project developed by Lauren, a double-major in both the Biomedical Art Department and the Technology Integrated Media Environment in the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program.


Project Statement: Animals within ecosystems that are perceived as ‘cute’ are often favored more in conservation practices as compared to animals who are perceived as ‘ugly’ or ‘undesirable.’ It is far easier to obtain funding and sympathy for the cuddly Panda than the Olm, an eyeless cave-dwelling salamander. As such, a great number of strange animals never reach the public eye. Through the experience of multimedia program design, the attendees’ attention will shift away from more common conservation mascots, and they will come to realize that the ugly, gross, and dangerous are worth our attention as well.