An upcoming exhibit at the AFA Gallery in Scranton will promote art and animals in partnership with the NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative.
“Arts to the Rescue” will include commissioned works by local artists featuring 24 animals that are currently available for adoption at local shelters.
“It's a way for the public to not only see local art... some really cute animals portrayed, but also get an idea of the animals that need to be up for adoption,” said Theresa O’Connor, the AFA Gallery director.
In addition to the commissioned work, members of the public are invited to bring their pet-inspired art in the form of photography, a collage or painting on drop-off days August 11, 12 and 13.
“Anyone can bring in work that's inspired by animals; pets, shelter animals, anything of that nature,” O’Connor said.
The exhibit will begin August 16 with an opening reception from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and continue through September 14.
The NEPA Animal Welfare Collaborative is a collective of animal shelters, rescues, advocates and sanctuaries.
Rebecca Farrell is the coordinator for the project, which launched in 2019 through the Scranton Area Community Foundation.
“It’s a good way to engage all sides of the community. Advocates, people that are looking for animals, artists, as well as just people that like to get out and get involved in the area,” she said.
This will be the third year for the partnership. The gallery will host a meet and greet with the artists and a few of the featured pets that are up for adoption on September 6 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“Last year, we had 19 animals,” Farrell said. “I think about half of them got interest, if not, adopted. So it was a really great turnout.”
More at the AFA
A free event Saturday August 17 is inspired by the activity of "plogging," which involves walking or jogging while picking up litter.
All ages are invited to the AFA Gallery at 101 Penn Avenue in Scranton on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3p.m. to turn otherwise useless items into a work of art.
"They can help clean up their community by bringing items that they find along the road or at the park," O'Connor said.
"We'll have all of the glue, canvases, any of the artsy items that they'll need to use," she added. "But the idea is really to to just bring some awareness about sustainable art. It's something I personally am very passionate about."
The AFA Gallery is funded by Lackawanna County, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and member fees.
The space will host a fundraiser event this fall titled "Small art, big deal."
"We're going to be asking artists, whether members or not, to donate a three inch by three inch canvas. We'll provide the canvas. They just have to put the art on it," O'Connor said. "It could be a painting, it could be a collage, mixed media, whatever they'd like."
The canvases will then be sold for $20 each at a fundraising event.
The AFA Gallery has a new exhibit every month. Coming soon, a project focused on murals in NEPA and a special exhibit for the 10th anniversary of the Scranton Fringe Festival in October.
