Paddles Out, Animal Lovers!

Animal lovers and art lovers unite! At least that's the hope behind a special fundraiser being held at the Mamaroneck Artists Guild on Friday, June 25th, as a reception is held to raise money for Pet Rescue and the MAG.

A $15 donation at the door gets you an evening of champagne, lovely art and the chance to take home some wonderful items, as there will be both a silent auction and live auction taking place. Special guest Assemblyman George Latimer will be among those taking part in the night and viewing the animal art.

In addition to the champagne reception, the work on display will be shown at the Gallery through June 26 as part of the week-long fundraiser.

Pet Rescue is a Larchmont-based organization that has found homes for more than 10,000 cats and dogs since it was established in 1982. Founder Sue Kamill helped organize the event with MAG Director Suzanne Montresor.

"They wanted to do some sort of fundraiser and we happened to have a week free in June so we put out guidelines to our artists with the only criteria being that it had to have something to do with animals, although it did not have to be a pet," Montresor said. "They responded with almost every animal and lots of mediums are represented."

Everything from paintings to etchings to ceramics to jewelry are exhibited in the show, and the collection of animals hanging on the walls could rival Noah's Ark.

Look left and you might see a photo of a baby bird emerging from its egg; another wall highlights a painting of a giraffe; still another has an acrylic of some cats. Combined with ceramic hippos, bird jewelry and clothes depicting elephants, there's something for every animal lover out there.

"We didn't think we would have such a big turnout from artists, but it's amazing how many people took part," Montresor said. "People really love just about every type of animal."

Sculptor Robin Henschel has some wonderful animal creations in the show, and artists contributing paintings include Ethel Renek, Rosemary Sullivan and Phyllis Tarlow.

The live auction will contain a number of original artwork from some of the well-known artists and members of MAG. Among the items up are a hand-painted silk vest of animals by Joh Ishikane called "African Animal Vest," and a one-of-a-kind oil on wood called "Dog Show" by Cary Thorp Brown.

"It is composed of 36 small, one-inch cubes depicting different breeds of dogs," Montresor said. "It's really wonderful and it is valued at $3,600, with an opening bid of $1,800."

Silent auction items include a week of doggie day care, pet portraits, pet massages and other fun things for your furry loved ones.

The money raised from the donations, auctions and sales of the paintings will benefit both MAG and Pet Rescue, with art sale splits seeing MAG and Pet Rescue get 50 percent and the artists getting the other half.

"We are looking forward to a wonderful show and a great night," Montresor said. "This is going to be fun for all."