An animal-themed art show at The Farm Bistro in Cortez will benefit real animals throughout the Four Corners this spring.
Animal Art Works: The Return Exhibit, scheduled for Feb. 10, will be the restaurant’s second artistic fundraiser for Montezuma County humane society For Pets’ Sake and the Navajo-run Blackhat Humane Society in Durango. Organizer Sonja Horoshko is asking for exhibit entries with an animal theme from artists in Montezuma County and the Navajo Nation. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance at The Farm.
Laurie Hall, owner of The Farm, said last year’s event featured more than 50 works of art, whose creators ranged from children to professionals. Horoshko said most of the paintings were sold, and the event raised a total of $2,556 for the two humane societies.
“It was a beautiful event,” she said. “It was really well attended, lots of good quality art, and there was a festive and fun atmosphere.”
This year, several artists have already submitted paintings and drawings of dogs, birds and horses, often portrayed in unusual ways. A painting by Venaya Yazzie of Huerfano, New Mexico, layers a drawing of a bird over a map of Navajo country and an excerpt from the Diné creation story.
More local artists who have answered the call for entries include Heidi Brugger of Cortez and Rani Williams of Dolores.
In a news release she sent on Friday, Horoshko emphasized that work featuring more exotic animals would be accepted, too. One of the paintings that sold last year had an octopus as its subject, she said.
All the paintings at the exhibit will be for sale, priced between $80 and $200. About 50 percent of the sale price will go to the artists, a small percentage will go to The Farm to cover the event’s costs and the rest will go to the humane societies.
“In the end, the exhibit supports the artists as well as Blackhat and For Pets’ Sake,” Horoshko wrote in the release.
She said the event this year will have a more organized admission process that should cut down on lines and help guests see the art more quickly during the two-hour show. Last year’s show drew 85 people, and the organizers hope to top that number this year.
The show will start at 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 10.
