On Saturday, February 22nd, the Shemer Art Center hosted the 2025 Furry Friends Fine Arts Festival, featuring artists, vendors, live music, dog performances, tricks and carting parades, food & beverage vendors (The Dog Father and Black Cat Coffee House), an animal art raffle, interactive kids art activities in the Kids Spot, and an authors tent, i.e. our signature Book Shop!
It was a great event and a dog-gone good time for all, celebrating art, animals and community!
Thank you to all of our Festival Artists, Vendors, Volunteers, and Attendees, including all of the Furry Friends!
Desert Dog Obedience and Sweet Dogs showcased dog performances and tricks, plus carting parades.
Three contests were judged later in the day, including best costume, best owner look-a-like and most enthusiastic. Contest winners, along with our judges and contest emcee, are pictured above.
Everyone was eager to win in the raffle, which featured a variety of beautiful handmade, animal-themed works of art.
Vendors such as Gems 4 Paws/GemGirl Jewelry enjoyed connecting with attendees, sharing with them their artwork and process.
Shemer ceramic students, Susan Nguyen, Ann Erickson, and Susan Ng, donated both their time and artwork in support of Shemer’s Expansion and Legacy Campaign.
Maricopa County Animal Care and Control brought their bus of adoptable dogs!
Even Cruella DeVille made an appearance, to paint children’s faces in the Kids Spot!
Printmaking instructor Larry Nisula and his students Jan and Jane Brunn helped guests print one-of-a-kind portraits of their pets.
The Dogfather served gourmet hot dogs.
Magnolia and Memphis posed in their costumes!
Overall, it was the purr-fect day to enjoy art and celebrate pets!
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE PICTURES FROM THIS YEAR’S EVENT!
