Celebrating Metro Meteor

The passing of our beloved Metro Meteor on March 28th, 2018, saddens all of us at Gallery 30. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ron, Wendy, and his many passionate followers. This lovely, powerful story softened our hearts, and we are so thankful to have had the opportunity to share Metro’s voice with the world.

An Artist and Ambassador Extraordinaire

Throughout his painting career, Metro was an exceptional ambassador for retired racehorses, and his legacy will continue to live on through his paintings, Ron’s book, Painting with Metro: How a Crippled Racehorse Rescued Himself (and Me) with a Paintbrush, and the donations he has made.

 

Ron signing Metro's book - April 2016

In April 2016, Gallery 30 hosted a book signing with Ron, Metro, and his best friend, Pork Chop. Hundreds of people from all over the United States traveled to Gettysburg to meet Metro. “From the start, we believed in Ron and Metro. What they were doing together, as a team was incredible. We knew we wanted to represent them and share their unique collaboration with a broader audience” said Linda Atiyeh, owner of Gallery 30, “It’s truly been a pleasure to see how their work inspired people and how it helped to nurture a greater appreciation for the arts. We are also so pleased to know that the animal rescue community has benefited from Metro’s unique talent.” For Metro and Ron's book launch party, Gallery 30 donated a portion of the Metro book sale proceeds to Gentle Giants Draft Horse Rescue, a 501(c)(3) organization devoted to the rescue of Draft and Draft Cross horses from slaughter, abuse, and neglect.

Metro at Gallery 30 - April 2016

His Life and Legacy

His racing life began as a turf sprinter at Belmont and Saratoga but was cut short with knee injuries. Ron Krajewski and his wife Wendy, longtime animal advocates, adopted him but Metro still struggled with his health in retirement. Looking for ways to keep Metro engaged and active, Ron taught him to hold a paint brush in his mouth, and it was immediately evident that painting big, sweeping brush strokes on the canvas made Metro happy. A unique partnership between man and animal was formed. Metro’s colorful paintings began to attract national attention, and he quickly became one of Gallery 30’s most celebrated artists. As of 2015, Metro’s art has raised over $80,000 for racehorse rescue.