‘Art for Animals’ Streamlines Process

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (3/28/2019) – “Art for Animals,” the ninth annual spring benefit for the Animal Welfare Alliance (AWA), is streamlining the process this year to maximize fun. The biggest changes for the two-week event:

● There will be only one reception. The closing or “Tail End” party for final bidding in the silent auction will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 19, at the Holiday Inn in Poplar Bluff. Admission, as usual, will be free.

● The 5-by-7 original artworks donated to the silent auction by area artists will be exhibited at the Artfully Framed gallery in Bluff Estates Shopping Center starting late on Friday, April 5, until the day of the “Tail End” reception, when they will move to the Holiday Inn. Also displayed will be an 11-by-14 Steve Whitworth painting of downtown Poplar Bluff to be raffled off at the closing reception.

● Bidding on artwork during the two-week exhibit will be exclusively on-line and will stop at noon on April 19. Those attending that evening’s party can bid on their favorite artwork in person on bid sheets provided on site. On-line bidding instructions will be posted on Artfully Framed’s Facebook page, on the website artfullyframed.com/artforanimals and on www.awasemo.org .

“We introduced on-line bidding a couple of years ago,” said event organizer Barbara Pelton, proprietor of Artfully Framed. “This new schedule will be simpler and will make the ‘Tail End’ reception all the more fun and exciting.”

Art for Animals 2019

Part of the fun at the “Tail End” party will be the return of Roxie and Riley, two brush wielding canine artists trained to paint by their owner, Linda Kush, of Sit and Stay Dog Boarding & Daycare near Poplar Bluff. The dogs will demonstrate their skills and will have some of their paintings in the silent auction.

“Art for Animals” features more than 100 original works by area artists of all ages, both professional and amateur. Artfully Framed owner Barbara Pelton is the primary event sponsor. She and her employees frame and hang each piece of donated art.

Sponsors of the April 19 “Tail End” closing reception are The Creekside Studio of Art & Design, Lisa Reynolds Insurance Agency, Ozark Federal Credit Union and Somewhere in Time Antiques & More, all in the Poplar Bluff area.

“We are grateful to our sponsors for helping to make this event a big success,” said AWA President Travis Thomas. “A special thank-you goes to Steve Whitworth for donating his spectacular painting to be raffled.” Whitworth is a Poplar Bluff businessman and director of the Margaret Harwell Art Museum.

Various prizes will be awarded at the “Tail End” reception April 19, including the $100 Tackett Award to the artist whose entry brings the highest bid.

All donations and proceeds from the silent auction support AWA’s programs.

AWA provides $50 vouchers for qualifying pet owners to help with spay/neuter costs and has spent more than $70,000 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. The organization sets aside half of all income toward construction of a no-kill shelter to serve this area.

AWA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization; donations are tax deductible within IRS guidelines. For more details on “Art For Animals,” visit artfullyramed.com/artforanimals or awasemo.org or call (573) 785-6178.