Helping Animals With Art

On Oct 30, at the Madison Area Arts Council Brick House, from 5 until 8 pm, there will be a fundraiser for Almost Home Canine Rescue in order to raise money so that they can continue to house dogs, cats, and other animals that need vet care or a place to stay.

At Dakota State University, Professor and Artist Angela Behrends is doing what she can to help.

“I have three sections of ART-121 which are all heavily involved. I have one section of ART-123, which is 3D Design, so I assign something which could be donated or I encourage students to design something which would be a good item for people to choose at a fundraiser like that.”

It won’t take just the help of Behrends and her classes to raise the money for the Rescue, but luckily, there are other places around Madison that have offered to help and add their own projects and art pieces into the fundraiser.

“[At] the Madison Middle School, the art teacher, Ginny Freitag, is having some of her students contribute some of their work, and some of my artwork will definitely be there. Barbara Stacey-Olajide, in the Public Relations and Marketing Department, is the President of the local Almost Home Canine Rescue chapter. I’m also in contact with other professors, not only in Digital Arts and Design but also in the English department, to submit projects for the fundraiser. The High School also has at least one class that is going to contribute some work.”

Behrends has high hopes for the fundraiser, with a goal of $1,500. “Currently, I think I have just over 100 postcards, but I think there will be at least double that amount of artwork in the fundraiser.”

All sales will help cover the cost of housing bills, vet bills, and any debt that the Rescue may currently be in.

“In the next couple of weeks, I’ll be advocating as ambitiously as I can for more people to make stuff, but I don’t have a specific list, just people that I’m needling.”