West Hartford Seeks Colorful Dog Art

WEST HARTFORD, CT — This fall, West Hartford will be adorned with colorful, fiberglass dogs painted and designed by various local artists — and they will help do some community good.

The initiative, according to the West Hartford Arts & Culture Collaborative, was kicked off in July and has the organization in search of budding artists looking to apply to transform a blank dog statue into one of their own.

Each artistic creation is being sponsored by local businesses, with proceeds benefitting local nonprofit groups, according to the WHACC via Facebook.

The program is in similar vein to last year's "Bear Fair," where these furry creatures were the topic of artists' pride.

Winning artists will get a $500 stipend to be used on the dog designs, with art store retailer Jerry's Artarama, which conducts online sales, offering a 50 percent discount to "Dog Walk" artists.

Eventually, local shopping hubs Blue Back Square and the Westfarms Mall will host the canine creations.

"Once painted, the dogs will be revealed at Blue Back Square this fall – followed by a stint at Westfarms – and maybe beyond, providing exposure to the businesses, nonprofits and artists alike," reads a Facebook post by the WHACC.

To apply to become a Dog Walk artist, email stacey@20media20.com and include a short bio, with a description of your medium, some photos of your work or portfolio website address.

For WHAC's Facebook page, click on this link.