ASU’s only off-site museum, the Deer Valley Rock Art Center in Phoenix debuted a new exhibit, “Javelinas: Knowing Our Neighbors,” on Saturday.

ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Human Evolution and Social Change runs the Rock Art Center which houses more than 1,500 petroglyphs and the nature preserve.

Hannah Kusinitz, the exhibit curator, said the museum staff strives to put a friendly face on an otherwise rough-looking animal.

“[Javelina] are endearing,” Kusinitz said. “They smell and they’re ugly, but they’re cute and people can have fond feelings toward them because they’re endearing, in a kind of whimsical way. They’re so mischievous.”

The exhibit opened for guests to view the artwork and learn about javelina while snacking on treats including javelina cookies and cactus cornbread.

It featured local artists’ interpretations of the animals in nearly a dozen drawings and paintings and several statues, including a javelina head complete with four tusks, curly blonde hair, a pearl necklace, lipstick and eye shadow.

This “drag queen” javelina, as artist Judy Darbyshire called it, was part of a collection she displayed, with other javelina resembling Keith Richards, a biker, Frida Kahlo and both a young and plump Elvis, since she began incorporating them into her art in the 1970s.

Like many of the exhibit’s guests, Darbyshire said she had seen an increase in the number of javelina moving into rural communities.

“They decided they want to be urbanized too,” Darbyshire said jokingly.

“In the 70’s nobody knew what they were. When they’d come in [to the art studio] they’d ask, ‘is that a hedgehog? Or a pig?’ But now everybody knows what they are, and not only that, they have a story about them.”

Delos Nokleby, a Mesa artist, contributed to the exhibit a statue of a javelina made entirely of organic material, including gourds, horse hair, porcupine quills, pine cones and cactus spikes.

He hoped the artwork helped to dispel the negative image people carry of javelina as intrusive pests, Nokleby said.

“People think they are really aggressive,” he said. “People think they are invading our space when they’re coming up into our yards, but really we’re the ones invading on their space.”

The exhibit’s debut began with a presentation from Arizona Game and Fish wildlife specialist Amber Munig, who spoke about what is being done to manage herds of javelina in Arizona and how residents can keep them out of their yards.

“Every species is important,” Munig said. “Every animal has a place in the world and we should do our part to maintain that place for the javelinas.”

Darbyshire said she believed the exhibit and presentation served as a good educational tool.

“I think a lot of people got informed today,” Darbyshire said. “In fact I’ve learned a few things today and I thought I knew everything [about javelina]."

It is important to explore the relationship between humans and the javelina that they share the desert with, Kusinitz said.

The exhibit, along with the herd of nine javelina in the nature preserve within the rock art center, will hopefully help to educate the public about the animals, she said.

“A lot of people think they’re just going to break into their yard, root up their plants and attack their plants,” Kusinitz said. “So we’re trying to show the other side. Javelina are really unique creatures, they’ve adapted to life in a desert. It’s impressive that they’ve been able to find a niche in such a harsh environment.”

Darbyshire said as a full-time artist she has made a living off of the same animals that used to root up her garden in search of food.

“It’s a love-hate relationship,” she said. “I think we’ve both exploited each other.”

Reach the reporter at michelle.parks@asu.edu.