Studios on the Park hosts pet caricatures and animal-inspired art to support Woods Humane Society
NORTH COUNTY — The arts and animals came together on Saturday, Jan. 18, to support Woods Humane Society at Studios on the Park in Paso Robles. The first “Art for Paws” event included pet caricatures, drawings, dog-toy making, all coinciding with the Studio’s “Walk Like An Animal” art exhibition.
“We were contacted several months back with Studios on the Park wanting to partner with Woods. [There are] so many animal lovers in our community, and we absolutely love partnering with different organizations, businesses, and celebrating the human-animal bond,” Woods Humane Society Community Engagement Manager Robin Coleman told Paso Robles Press / Atascadero News.
The free event welcomed former Woods Humane Society (Woods) dogs and their adopters and also Downtown Paso Robles visitors who happened upon the event. Proceeds from entering the raffle went to benefit Woods and Studios on the Park while the pet caricatures proceeds went to Woods. The total revenue from the event was unavailable at the time of printing.
“We have been wanting to expand our reach in the community and partner with different local nonprofits and I have a personal love for animals and respect everything that Woods does. So, I wanted to figure out a way to collaborate with them,” said Studios on the Park Administrative Coordinator Emma Henson about how the event came to fruition.
Studios Operations Manager and Curator Jordan Hockett then had the idea to combine a fundraiser for Woods alongside their “Walk like an Animal” exhibit. The exhibit includes the works on many artists in different mediums featuring the animal kingdom. It runs through Feb. 23 with a second reception on Feb. 1, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Studios is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a creative, educational, and transformational experience to enhance understanding and appreciation of the visual arts. They often collaborate with other local nonprofits for fundraisers and to raise awareness.
Savannah Reifers drew adorable pet caricatures throughout the event for $10 each, which all went directly to Woods.The $10 drawing was for a free pet portrait also by Savannah. Those proceeds will be split between Studios and Woods and go through Feb. 28, so there is still time to enter.
Heidi Cooper made an appearance at the event with her dog Darla, who was adopted from Woods a few months ago.
“We lost a dog about a year ago [who we also got from Woods], and it’s taken us about a year to get over it,” she said. “We decided it was time to get a new dog and we went down and we were actually looking to make an appointment for a different dog. And when we got there, Darla was available. We’d looked at her earlier, but she wasn’t available. We thought somebody actually surrendered her, and she became available that afternoon. And so we met her, and our other dog met her, and they seem to get along, and we just loved her ever since.”
Cooper shared why her family chooses to adopt from Woods, saying that it’s a safe place to adopt from with a system in place to ensure safe placements for adoptable pets.
Woods recently has taken in over 30 adoptable pets from the Los Angeles County animal shelters to assist with wildfire relief. All of those animals are available for adoption and you can keep up to date with available animals at woodshumanesociety.org
“As much as I love the feel-good and the fun stuff, it’s for an important cause,” Coleman said. “Every dollar we raise is another life that we get to save at Woods. So we love being out here, we love having fun, but ultimately every dollar we raise helps us say yes to the next animal in need.”
Featured Image: Woods Humane Society Community Engagement Manager Robin Coleman (left) and Studios on the Park Administrative Coordinator Emma Henson pose at the first “Art for Paws” fundraising event. Photo by Camille DeVaul
