The 4th annual Cat Art Show & Sale will take place on December 5th at City Well in Plattsburgh, NY. The Cat Art Show & Sale is a yearly fundraiser that works with artists to raise money for the Elmore SPCA. The call for artists is from November 14th until the 28th. 2020 has been such a hard year, and I’m excited to help organize an event to bring people together.
2020 Plattsburgh Cat Art Show at City Well, City Hall Place
This year’s event is brought to you by Hey, I’m Kim (me) and Eve Petrashune. We are once again working with City Well, which now houses Chapter One Coffee and The Z Group Real Estate. It will be exciting to offer patrons the opportunity for a great latte and bite to eat while viewing the art.
As organizers, we are excited to return to the newly reenvisioned City Well. I had joked that City Well acts as the Plattsburgh “Room of Requirement.” Like the storied “room of requirement” from Harry Potter lore, City Well can be whatever you need it to be. From live music, art show, to space for a community forum- this space can meet those needs.
A Place For North Country Cat Artists
Any artists who wish to participate can submit their cat-themed art between November 14th and 28th at City Well. We will leave submission forms at the location. We ask that you place your artwork in a bag with the submission form. Artists can choose to donate any proceeds from the sale of their work or donate just a portion. Even if the artist contributes 5% of the sale, every penny counts. Our goal is to support Elmore, but we want to support artists, too.
History Of The Plattsburgh Cat Art Show
The whole idea for the Cat Art Show started back in 2014 when the Adirondack Human Society closed its doors. Their closure displaced dozens of animals to different shelters across the north country. One of the places many of the animals found refuge was the Elmore SPCA.
Elmore did what it could to provide medical care and find permanent homes for as many animals as possible. Elmore has consistently stepped up to rehome as many animals as possible throughout the years. For this and many other reasons, we continue to host this event in their honor.
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Year One And Two at ROTA Gallery On Bridge Street
The first two years were hosted at the ROTA Gallery, formerly located at 39 Bridge Street. ROTA was the go-to-place for punk shows, or if you wanted to host a private art show. I distinctly remember figuring out how to fill the massive space with just a few pieces of art.
Thankfully, the first year was a big success, and we started thinking about planning year two. Thankfully in year two, several friends helped hang the art. We added an interactive game, create your own cat art area, hors d’oeuvres, and a few extras that helped us raise more money than year one.
Switching To City Well
After a several-year break, I reached out to Art Beat organizer Kris Petrashune. I heard about several successful art openings Kris and her team had organized. She seemed like a logical ally to help organize the cat show and take it to the next level.
Kris brought experience and organization to the show that hadn’t previously existed. With this new partnership, we were able to work with WNBZ and host the event at City Well. Maggie Graf even lent a hand to hang the art.
City well was the largest space we have ever needed to fill, but thankfully local artists contributed a lot of work. Some of my favorites from the show were a micro-knit sculpture, block carving by Jasper the 9-year-old, and a very cool drawing of Edgar Allen Poe. In our fourth year, donations helped us pay the $200 space rental and donate $718 to Elmore.
Work by Jerry Girard
Work by Jasper Girard
Why you should come to the cat art show and sale
This year it is more important than ever to support animal shelters and local artists. The event is intentionally hosted before the holiday season. We hope people use this to get a heartfelt homemade gift for themself or someone they love. Participants go away knowing that their money is either going to support a local artist or animal.
2020 has been a hard year, not just on our pocketbooks, but on our emotions. Use this opportunity to come out and socialize as well. Bring your mask and grab a coffee from Chapter One when you arrive. We will be mindful of how many people will be allowed in the space, ensuring everyone’s safety.
If you have time while in downtown Plattsburgh, grab a bite to eat, visit the Co-Op, or one of the many thrift stores. The show is our way of supporting the local animal shelter in their efforts. With your help, we can help our local business owners and community members as well.