SCOTLAND NECK NC – (MARCH 23) –Down East Animal Refuge (DEAR) is having a special fundraiser art auction at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park and Eco-Center in Scotland Neck on April 7, 2007. Viewing begins at 9:00 a.m. and the auction officially begins at 3:00 p.m.
Over 20 local and national artists have donated prints and original work to this special fundraising event. DEAR is featuring two artists each week until the auction on April 7.
This week we feature Doris Ward. With a passion for color, Doris creates art using a variety of techniques and media. Drawing from life and her photography, she especially enjoys painting floral as well as her “people paintings”. Local North Carolina rural and coastal settings are inspiration for Doris, along with her travels abroad to England and Italy. She remains committed to her exploration of fine art. She now resides and works from her studios in Greenville and Swansboro, NC. Member: Watercolor Society of North Carolina, Greenville Museum of Art Guild, “Brushstrokes” of Greenville. Exhibits: Watercolor Society of NC, National Juried Art Exhibit of Rocky Mount, National Juried Art Exhibit of Kinston, Local and regional solo and group shows. Media: Watercolor Oils, Acrylics Pen and Ink. She is self taught and has attended many workshops including La Romita School of Art in Italy (Umbria).
Our second featured artist, Patrick McDonnell, a native of New Jersey, attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City on scholarship and graduated with a BFA in 1978. In 
1994 McDonnell created Mutts, a daily newspaper comic strip distributed by King Features Syndicate. He has since received numerous awards for his strip. Mutts appears in 700 newspapers in over 20 countries, and the Mutts cartoons have been collected and published in many books throughout the world. An Abrams book of his life and work, “Mutts: The Comic Art of Patrick McDonnell”, was published in Autumn 2003. He has recently embarked on a children’s book career, and his “The Gift of Nothing” was on the New York Times bestseller list in January 2006. A signed watercolour print is available at the auction valued at $500.
Viewing of all donated artwork will begin when Sylvan Heights opens at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 7. Public viewing will continue until the auction begins promptly at 3:00 p.m. A full list of items available for bidding will be available at the door. Lite snacks and beverages will be served at the conclusion of the auction. The event is scheduled to conclude at 5:00 p.m.
All donated artwork and additional biographical information on the artists is available on our website, www.downeastanimalrefuge.org. The auction brochure is also available for downloading on our site.
DEAR also would like to thank their host, Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Center & Eco-Park, for taking on this unique event. Sylvan Heights houses the largest collection of rare and endangered waterfowl in the world. DEAR encourages people to come early and tour the facility (there is a ticket fee or membership options). More information concerning the park can be viewed on their web site at www.shwpark.com
If you have a question concerning rabies clinics, adoptions, fundraisers, donations, or the DEAR shelter, please contact Down East Animal Refuge at 252-826-2500, information@downeastanimalrefuge.org, or by visiting the web site at http://www.downeastanimalrefuge.org.
Click here to download a copy of the DEAR Art Auction Brochure (Adobe PDF). Adobe Acrobat reader required to open and print this file. The Art Auction page is updated frequently. Please check back to see recent additions to the auction.