Articles

by Janet Warner
LouisvillePetPals.com Staff

Event Column

Art for the Animals: A Howling Success

LOUISVILLE, August 3, 2006 -- “It’s all for the Animals” was the phrase most heard August 3rd at the Mellwood Art Center. Shamrock Foundation’s 10th Annual Art for the Animals filled the venue with spectacular art, cool jazz, and the finest supporters of art and pets in the Louisville and Southern Indiana. The crowd, an estimated 1,300 people, was twice the event attendance of the past decade.
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A legion of volunteers greeted guests at check in, manned silent auction tables, moved art for the live auction, refreshed food tables and wine glasses, tackled the task of patron check out, and matched prizes with new owners at evenings end. A few lucky volunteers showcased irresistible adoptable pets among the well dressed Shamrock supporters. Louisville Pet Pals’ own “Animal” Gambill roamed the room with lovable cat after lovable cat. Shamrock Dog Adoption chair Susan Meyer delegated a small army of folks who rotated canines from the “showroom” to the lawn for necessary relief and back to rest in crates with lots of food, water, and love. Karen Boeckman and other Greyhounds of Shamrock friends added elegance to the affair by circulating with beautiful dogs available for adoption. Both guests and volunteers enjoyed the pets as much as the art.

“It’s absolutely amazing that a non-profit can pull off an event like this!” said one patron as she browsed through table after table of art. The event showcased art in almost every medium imaginable. The offerings included a variety of work from budding Jefferson County school kids to edgy photographs by local photographers. Some pieces went for surprisingly low bids while other items enjoyed highly competitively bidding. The live auction was an exciting climax to the evening. Artwork by Bill Fischer fetched a spectacular sum of $2,200.

The evening was considered an accomplishment with fund raising efforts estimated close to $70 thousand and six of the featured dogs and cats at the event found forever homes. “We are all still a little shell shocked”, said Ted Broussard, Art Auction for the Animals board member. “It was a success and we will need the next month to recover!”