PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Humane Society is showcasing and selling work by local artists to help raise funds.
The Guild of Berkshire Artists has collaborated with the animal shelter to showcase and sell work created by local artists ranging in mediums including photography, abstract, oils, acrylics, watercolors, and more.
"We hope to make art part of everybody's life, to create joy, to encourage people to experiment to explore different mediums, different ways of looking at the world," artist and former guild president Karen Carmean said.
"The variety of human existence — we're inspired by nature, animals and wildlife. Some of the work is not realistic, but it's all inspired by nature or animals or wildlife."
The approximately 60 paintings on display are for sale and can be taken home the day of purchase.
"I hope that we sell a lot of paintings because each painting sale benefits the Humane Society. So, that would be fabulous if people could come look at the paintings and maybe take one home for themselves or as a gift," artist Lisa Townson said.
"And I also think it's a great way to familiarize yourself with other artists in the area and their work."
The Humane Society will get 20 percent of the sales and 5 percent will go to the Guild of Berkshire Artists.
The artworks will be on display until April and the shelter is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays 1 to 4.
To continue to help raise funds, artist Terre Lefferts has donated one of her cat paintings, "Dita," for a raffle.
Words can not express the impact Berkshire Humane Society has on the community between all the programs it offers for children, the work it does to save animals, sometimes from certain death in many cases, to its collaboration with other local organizations, artist Jane Salata said.
"It's great because it brought me to the Humane Society so I could see how the animals are cared for and how fabulous the staff is," Townson said.
"Having adopted a lot of rescue dogs I've been in a lot of shelters and a lot of less than wonderful animal situations. So, I was very pleased to see the quality of care, and the quality of the facilities here."
This is not the first time the guild has collaborated with the shelter — it's displayed its work there over the last five to six years and more frequently over the years, Carmean said.
"We enjoy having the Guild of Berkshire Artists here and their show. They feature a lot of animals and a lot of the artists have also adopted animals … it's nice to have that sense of community and artists are very generous," the shelter's Communication Manager Catherine Hibbard said.
"... People will be able to take a chance on that raffle. We enjoy it and it just brightens up our hallways with the beautiful artwork."
Showcasing their work at the animal shelter not only shines a light on local artists but also helps support the work the Humane Society does, artists said.
"We're so impressed with all of the staff here. They're wonderful. They really listen to people, they know their animals, and match people. It's just a delight to always be here," Carmean said.
Although this is the first time artist Terre Lefferts is participating in the exhibit, six years ago she adopted her "beautiful, wonderful dog" from the animal shelter and thought this was a great way to pay it back.
Multiple artists in the show have adopted an animal from the shelter and agreed that work that the Humane Society does is important for the community noting the special connection between inspiration, animals, and art.
"I personally feel that every animal is a masterpiece. And they are just such great subjects. You know, animals are like art in many, many ways," Salata said.
"I feel you know that they enrich our lives, as does art. They're absolutely beautiful. They're often unexpected, and I think they're essential."
The guild opened in 2014 to educate its members and the general public about art and how it contributes to the quality of life in the Berkshires.
In 2022, the guild leased its first brick-and-mortar building in West Stockbridge to contribute to the vibrancy of that downtown while providing artists the opportunity to curate a show and present their work.
More information on the guild and its programs here.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Companion Corner: Glo at the Berkshire Humane Society
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There's a sweet and playful dog at the Berkshire Humane Society waiting for her new family.
iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.
"Glo is about a one-year-old, sweet female pitty mix who has nothing but love to give," said kennel supervisor Stacey Broderick.
Glo has been at the shelter for about three weeks after unfortunately being kicked out of her previous home.
"She came here because her previous home, she was being crated an awful lot, and unfortunately, was creating a little bit of a raucous when she was left by herself," said Broderick. "So she was just being a little barky, a little loud. Neighbors obviously shared walls in an apartment setting we're complaining to the landlord, and the landlord said, unfortunately, that she had to go."
But since coming to the shelter she has been learning a lot.
"She's been nothing but a sweet little girl ever since she is working on crate training, she has been very good for us. We're practicing it with her. She is also working on her house training. In addition to it, it seems that we had a little bit of a reverse situation going on, where she likes to go potties inside, but we are working very hard, and she is learning so quickly," she said. "So even after just a couple weeks with us, she's been really getting the point to go outside and do all of her potties out there."
She would do best in the home as the only dog and possibly without cats. She would also do best with older children who can understand her needs as she needs less activity than other dogs.
"The perfect home would, because of the necessity for her to have a lower activity level, probably without other dogs, just because she can get a little bit rambunctious when she gets excited around them," Broderick said. "So she could certainly have doggie play dates, but her perfect home would be no dogs. Unfortunately, we do have a bit of a prey drive with kitty cats, so probably leaning away from the cats, unless they're incredibly dog savvy ...
"Probably looking toward a home without super young kids, just so they're not jumping, you know, or leaning, or anything along those lines, and understanding that sometimes she's going to just need a break."
Because of a medical condition she wouldn't be able to go on long hikes or do anything extraneous but she is still very active and playful.
"She is absolutely lovely. She's sweet, she's young, she's playful. She wants to be with her people all the time. She loves toys. She does like going out for walks. We do have a couple of medical things that we can certainly give more information to adopters, too," she said. "We have some hip dysplasia that we're looking at, so probably moderate activity level would be best for her.
"She shouldn't necessarily be going on super long hikes, even though she would love to, but she is young and full of life and full of energy, and wants nothing more than to be with her people."
Since Glo has hip dysplasia she will need to maintain a healthy weight to not add stress to her joints and can also benefit from hydrotherapy.
"It's something that somebody will have to have a good relationship with a veterinarian physical therapists, and then if they were interested in doing a hydrotherapy type situation, it can only help her," Broderick said. "We want to keep those muscles built up in the hind end so that her hips are not taking the brunt of the bone on bone action while she is kind of living out her very best life."
Glo hasn't shown any symptoms or difficulties since being at the shelter, but it is a condition that her owners need to understand and it increases her chances of arthritis as she gets older.
Broderick said Fritters Critters in Lee specializes in pet hydrotherapy.
"They basically work on an underwater treadmill. So that's walking under the water so that she has a little bit of resistance and the water is warm, so that it's optimum for therapeutic benefits," she said. "They do have a pool there, too, where she would be able to do some swimming, and it really gives her the ability to exercise and really extend those joints and build up those muscles without the added pressure of gravity and impact as she's walking or playing or running.
"So the hydrotherapy is a great option for dogs, even if you just want to do it for fun. She could really benefit healthwise, from it, too."
She will also have to stay on her joint mobility food to help her.
But Glo is a very happy and playful dog and loves everyone she sees and is hoping to find someone who will love her just as much to take her home.
"I can't say enough good about her. I know that the hip dysplasia sounds like a scary piece of it, as well as the house training," Broderick said. "But honestly, there was not a friendlier, sweeter, more outgoing, social, wants to be best friends with you, kind of dog. She was in the front lobby this past Saturday, and she met like 10 people at the same time, and just made rounds and loved every single person as they came in."
You can visit Glo at the Berkshire Humane Society and read more about her on the website.
The Berkshire Humane Society is open Tuesday through Sunday. The adoption center is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
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