Calling all artists young and old, amateur and professional: “Art for Animals,” the popular annual fund raising event for the Animal Welfare Alliance (AWA) will start May 7 and end May 21!
“Art for Animals” features 5-by-7-inch original creations by area artists. The public bids on-line for individual pieces of art during the two-week auction. Winning bids benefit AWA programs.
This year will be the 11th annual “Art for Animals,” which is sponsored by the Artfully Framed gallery in the Bluff Estates Shopping Center. Artists can create paintings, collages or sculptures; subject matter is not limited to depictions of animals.
More than 100 artists usually participate. Most of them have two legs; but a few have four legs and fur coats.
Artists can register and get blank canvases for $10 each at Artfully Framed. The deadline for returning finished artwork is May 1. Artists are limited to four entries each.
The gallery owner and employees custom frame all the artwork for the charity auction. Artfully Framed recently was sold to Tad Long, of Poplar Bluff, after former owner Barbara Pelton retired. Long is continuing support of “Art for Animals.” “We are so grateful to Barbara Pelton for her many years of AWA support. And we are excited that Tad Long is enthusiastic about continuing the tradition,” said AWA President Marge Van Praag.
Artwork competing in the on-line auction will be displayed at Artfully Framed during the two-week auction. Organizers and sponsors will announce soon whether the event will close with a live or a “virtual” bidding party.
Anyone wishing to sponsor a young or cash-strapped artist for $10 can contact Tad Long at Artfully Framed at (573) 785-6178.
AWA spends up to $2,000 per month on its programs. The organization provides $50 vouchers for qualifying pet owners to help with spay/neuter costs and has spent more than $85,000 on that project since 2009. With the cooperation of Poplar Bluff’s Animal Control officers, AWA also helps provide vaccinations for puppies and kittens in the city’s shelter.
AWA currently is raising money to purchase Hillcrest Animal Hospital for conversion to a regional, no-kill animal shelter. (Owners of the facility are building a new clinic nearby.) AWA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization; donations are tax deductible within IRS guidelines and can be mailed to AWA, PO Box 647, Poplar Bluff, MO 63902, or can be made on the group’s website: “http://www.awasemo.org/”www.awasemo.org.