"I am only a public entertainer who has understood his time."
    —Pablo Picasso

CRITTER CHOW I wonder if Robert Rauschenberg has make-believe pets? They don't allow real animals in the Museum, and I don't have any stuffed ones. Sometimes I pretend that the other sculptures in the museum are my pets. When mealtime comes around, I really have to use my imagination to decide what these friends might want to eat. I've made some boxes and bags for their funny snacks. Why don't you make a special container for your pets' food? Here's how:

Robert Rauschenberg The Chow Series: Hog Chow

1. Get out these supplies:

• scrap paper
• pencil
• an empty food container
• construction paper
• scissors
• glue or tape
• markers

• Does your dog or cat have a favorite snack? You can use your container to store treats for a real animal, or your snacks can be imaginary, too!
• The ducks at the lake and the birds in your yard are always hungry!
• If they were real, what sort of treats would your stuffed animals like?
• What do you think an imaginary animal like the jackalope might eat?

• Use your pencil and scrap paper to sketch your ideas.
• Will your container have pictures of your pet? A cartoon bubble can show what he thinks of his treat!
• What will you name your special brand of pet food?

• Use your empty food container as a guide.
• With your pencil, trace all the shapes that make your container onto your construction paper. Don't leave out the top and bottom!
• Use your pencil and markers to copy your design from the scrap paper to the construction paper.
• Cut out the shapes and tape or glue them to the matching spaces on your container.