Open the door to the room housing the Minnesota Veterinary History Museum’s anatomy collection, and you’ll be greeted by hundreds of specimens—entire skeletons, individual bones, and plastic models.  

Groups of College of Veterinary Medicine community members recently gathered in the space for an event where the specimens weren’t just learning aids for a lesson—they were inspirations for art. 

The museum hosted a series of printmaking workshops in April, inviting participants to create black-and-white prints reminiscent of those found in historical anatomy books with the help of a printmaking press operated by local artist Stuart Loughridge.

Participants were provided with a piece of plexiglass and a tool to carve an image into it. With each scratch, a picture came into focus. Some drew one object—the underside of a skull, a tortoise foot, a close-up of raptor talons—while others featured entire skeletons. 

For first-year veterinary student Catherine Fabel, the workshop offered a little respite from a busy week of coursework.

“I have been meaning to get into art more, but I do not actually make time for it,” she says. “So if someone actually makes the time for it, I will come and do it.”

In her print, she sketched a dog skull and added gladiolas around it—flowers her grandfather once grew. Other prints also reflected personal elements, including participants’ favorite animals or their veterinary interests. The collection had a specimen to reference for just about anything. 

“Do you want to look at a real snake skeleton?” Mari Kuennen, the museum’s curator, asked one student, who was looking at a photo on her phone. A moment later, Kuennen appeared with a small boa constrictor specimen in a display case, one of many prepared by the museum’s founder, Walt Makey.   

The printmaking workshop is one of several offerings the museum has developed to connect CVM community members—particularly students—with the history of the veterinary field. In February 2025, a workshop encouraged participants to shape anatomical models of hearts out of clay. An upcoming workshop invites students to sew their own surgical instrument rolls. 

“Each of the workshops is meant to be a creative expression of history, the sciences, and the arts combined,” Kuennen says. “It’s really an interdisciplinary look at veterinary medicine.”

The surgical instrument roll workshop, in particular, is highly anticipated by students. Traditionally crafted from cloth, these roll-up organizers keep surgical instruments secure and tidy. Sewing their own will allow students to customize the roll through embroidery elements.

“The students are excited about it because they need something to carry their instruments for their anatomy labs and dissections,” Kuennen says. “Then, they can continue to use it throughout their remaining time in veterinary school and in their career.” 

In addition to offering creative activities, the workshops also feature items from the museum’s collection of more than 10,000 objects, specimens, books and photos—giving participants the opportunity to see and connect history up close.

Kuennen notes the museum seeks to expand the number and type of workshops offered to students. Donations help the museum pay for the supplies and labor needed for these workshops. If you’d like to support future workshops or other facets of the museum's mission, visit its fundraising page.