For the Love of Dogs at Old School Square

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Melissa Carter, Director of Marketing/Public Relations, 561.243.7922, ext. 322
[email protected]; Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave.   Delray Beach 33444
www.oldschool.org

Cornell Museum is Busting at the Seams with Dog Art!

DELRAY BEACH, FL – June 18, 2007 – The Cornell Museum at Old School Square has dog art in every nook and cranny as its premiere exhibition, “For the Love of Dogs,” gets underway for Old School Square’s Dog Days of Summer.

The Cornell Museum is celebrating dogs through art in a premiere exhibition, “For the Love of Dogs,” which opened June 14th and runs through September 8, 2007.

The museum is located on the Old School Square campus at 51 N. Swinton Avenue in downtown Delray Beach.  Summer hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Admission is $6 general; $4 seniors and students (14-21); free for Old School Square members and children under 14.

The exhibit features 25 multi-media dog portraits by national and international artists, courtesy of the Dog Art Dealer Gallery in Charleston, SC and over 200 paintings, sculptures and photographs from local and regional artists, as well as “personality” portraits and children’s dog art from the community.  All of the community submissions are accompanied by heart-warming stories or bios of the featured dogs.

“We owe a tremendous thanks to our Dog Days of Summer partner and sponsor, BocaDog Magazine and particularly Penny Paine and Jan Bond, whose expertise in the dog industry has been invaluable,” said Melissa Carter, Director of Marketing for Old School Square.  “With their help, we are trying to make a difference in the lives of dogs, especially those in need of homes by promoting responsible dog ownership and in the lives of dog owners by celebrating these intelligent, loving and loyal creatures through art.”

Some of the national and international artists participating in the exhibit include:  Faith Cameron Semmes, internationally known for her personality oil portraits and a member of the American Society of Portrait Artists; Barrie Barnett, who is internationally known, works solely in pastels and is a Signature member Pastel Society of America; Joy Droeger Beckner, nationally known bronze sculptor and a member of the National Sculpture Society & Society of Animal Artists; Ron Burns, a nationally known fine artist & writer and Artist-in-Residence with the Humane Society of the United States; Beth Carlson, who is nationally recognized for her oil portraits and a member of Women Artists of the West and Bird Dog Museum Hall of Fame in Tennessee; Trophy Frederick, a nationally known bronze sculptor who has done work for the AKC Museum of the Dog, St. Louis, Miss. and Art of Animal Kingdom III in Vermont; Rachelle Oatman, an internationally known portrait artist, whose work has appeared on  MTV Europe, in Harper’s Bazaar, City Dog NYC; and others.

Some of the local and regional artists include painters, Kay Alport (Delray Beach), Nancy Deutscher (Parkland), Sandy Dolan (Pompano Beach), Renee Plevy (Hypoluxo), Carol Ann Sherman (Delray Beach), and Karla Smith (Boca Raton); sculptor, Kate Van Noorden of Jupiter; and photographers Lee Gordon (Boca Raton), Paul Gale (Gulfstream) and Tina Valant-Siebelts (Boca Raton).

Special events during the “Dog Days of Summer” include the following:
∑ Friday Night Flicks outdoor movies on June 29th, July 27th and August 31st, starting at 8:30 p.m.; free admission.  For everyone’s movie enjoyment, we ask that all pets be left at home on movie nights.  June 29 – “Because of Winn Dixie”; July 27 – “Turner and Hooch”); August 31 – Beethoven”.

∑ Family Fundays on Saturday, July 14 and Saturday, August 25th, 2:00-4:00 p.m., featuring an exhibit tour, art activity, refreshments, and “Lessons in Kindness,” a one-hour program for children presented by the Tri County Humane Society.  Admission is $5 per family.

∑ Doggie Duds & Fashon Stroll, Thursday, August 16th starting at 7 p.m. on the south lawn of Old School Square in front of the Cornell Museum.  Dogs are welcome!  The fashion stroll is free to spectators and open to public participation with a $5 entry fee, which will benefit two dog rescue charities.  The Stroll theme is “Lookin’ Cool During the Dog Days of Summer,” and prizes will be awarded in several categories.  The Cornell Museum will offer reduced admission all evening.  This event is part of Delray’s Art & Jazz on the Avenue, a downtown open house from 6 to 10 p.m.  Atlantic Avenue will be closed to traffic between Swinton and the Intra-coastal.

∑ “Dogumentary” Short Films will be shown inside the Cornell Museum Tea Room on Wednesdays and Saturdays, 2:00-3:00 p.m.

Arts Education will also be an important part of the museum’s Dog Days of Summer.  The popular ART FUNdamentals program for summer camps will feature age-appropriate, interactive museum tours from June 14th through the 29th, followed by the Tri County Humane Society’s “Lessons in Kindness” program, which includes a dog-themed art activity.  Dog-themed student artwork, created especially for summer display in the Children’s Gallery, has been submitted by the Milagro Center, the art classes of Morikami Park and Plumosa Elementary Schools, and Trinity Lutheran School, all in Delray Beach.

Through the exhibit and related special events, the Cornell Museum will support two local non-profits that service dogs — Hailie’s Angels, which provides specialized veterinary care for homeless animals and Grateful Paws, a foster network for dog and cat rescue.

The Cornell Museum of Art and History, part of the Old School Square Cultural Arts Center, is housed in the restored 1913 Delray Elementary building.  In addition to regional, national and international exhibits of fine art, craft and American culture, the museum presents art programs for adults and children, artist showcases and demonstrations. “For the Love of Dogs” is sponsored in part by BocaDog Magazine.  The Cornell Museum also receives program support from the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.  Old School Square is a National Historic Site and Florida Cultural Institution also housing the Crest Theatre (in the restored 1925 high school building), a restored 1926 gymnasium, and an outdoor entertainment pavilion.  In addition to providing museum, theatre and arts education programs for adults and children, the center serves as a venue for community, corporate, private and media events.  For information on performances, exhibits, classes or rentals, call 561-243-7922 or visit www.oldschool.org.