How To Stuff Dead Rats Among Subjects Taught At New East Williamsburg Art Class

EAST WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN — Face it. Your apartment needs more dead rats, doesn’t it?

That’s why local fabrication studio Smart Department is hosting a rat taxidermy class on Saturday where you can learn to make either one- or two-headed stuffed rats.

“The great thing about taxidermy is that you’re learning a specific skill set,” said Smart Department co-owner Leah Polans, 29, who organized the class. “It’s an ancient art form and it’s something that allows you to grow.”

Smart Design is a female-run fabrication shop that opened in East Williamsburg about four years go with a focus on building restaurant and bar interiors, said Polans.

But now that the company has bought a new studio and classroom space on Meserole and Bogart streets, Smart Department will become a place where local artists can come to work and learn new skills, said Polans.

Which is why Polans — who specializes in “making art out of dead things” — has asked her friend Divya Anantharaman, a professional taxidermist, to lead the six-hour rat-stuffing class slated for noon on Saturday.

Anantharaman decided to pursue taxidermy because it combined science and art, the artist told Patch.

She sees it as a way to better understand under-appreciated lifeforms, which is why on Saturday, her students will study rats.

"When people think of them, they automatically think of that gross rat that carries the plague," said Anantharaman. "Rats are not just disgusting —they're smart and crafty."

"I think they're cool," she added. "They survive, they adapt to live in the city."

Anantharaman's students will learn about the coolness of rats from the inside out. She'll show the class how to properly — and hygienically — prep their rats, strip their tails, preserve their bodies and rebuild their heads, according to the class description.

Students are also encouraged to bring their own rodent-sized accessories, as the stuffed rats will be “posed and outfitted as the student desires.”

Smart Department will provide its own variety of tiny fashion items and ethically sourced dead rats.

A few tickets are still available on the Smart Department website — it will cost $200 to stuff a single-head rat and $250 if you opt for a two-headed rat.

Those who cannot make it to the class can find out more about taxidermy in Anantharaman's book "Stuffed Animals," and keep their eyes peeled for future classes.

Polans and her partner Taylor Browning are planning to host a very wide array of classes, including insect pinning, printmaking, figure drawing and a course on how to make your own meat smoker.

“We’re just two ladies who want to create a creative environment,” said Polans. “I want people to just be happy with whatever they’re trying to make.”

Header photo courtesy of Smart Department.