Sonoma artist Barbara White Perry is known for her detailed ink drawings of historic Valley of the Moon locales and her vivid oil paintings inspired by local landscapes. Lately, though, her attention is focused on the beloved pets starring in a creative fundraising campaign for Pets Lifeline, Sonoma Valley’s longtime animal shelter.
She is among 149 artists of all ages and skill levels donating their time and talents to create pet portraits from photographs submitted to Pets Lifeline along with donations of $20 or more to help the nonprofit during the coronavirus shutdown.
The fundraiser launched in March, shortly after Sonoma County’s initial mandates to help slow the transmission of COVID-19. “People just absolutely jumped on it,” said Nancy King, the shelter’s executive director. “It’s been so much fun.”
So far the shelter has received nearly 300 commissions, raising almost $9,000 for general expenses. It’s a considerable amount during a period when scheduled fundraising events were either canceled or modified online because of pandemic restrictions on public gatherings. The shelter has been closed since March, with a limited number of adoptions possible. Additionally, Pets Lifeline is housed in temporary facilities as construction of a new, long-anticipated $3.4 million animal resource center is underway.
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