The Cat Art Auction

14 Aug

The Cat Art Auction

Hosted by Fang & Fur
Everybody’s
7 Fort Lane
Auckland CBD
Tāmaki Makaurau 1010
Aotearoa (New Zealand)

28 August 2022

For Cat Lovers

The Art Auction is being held on 28 August to raise money for Pet Refuge—a new organisation that provides shelter and care for pets of people affected by domestic violence.

Over 40 artists are contributing works including Yvonne Todd, Joyce Campbell, Ross Murray, Hayley Theyers, Viky Garden and Jess Johnson. New Zealand purrsonalities Urzila Carlson, Hayley Sproull, Angella Dravid, Karen O’Leary, Kate Rodger, Justine Smith, and Tom Sainsbury are also contributing artworks. Sainsbury often draws upon his comprehensive knowledge of felines for comedy material, most famously with his character Gingerbread.

The aim of the event is to raise funds for Pet Refuge, a charity addressing an often-overlooked barrier for women escaping domestic violence. A Women’s Refuge survey of women whose partners had abused or threatened to abuse their pets, found that a staggering 53% delayed leaving out of fear for their pet’s safety. Pet Refuge founder Julie Chapman says: “Sadly, I knew there’d be a need for Pet Refuge when we opened the doors but it is far greater than we ever could have imagined. We really appreciate Fang & Fur’s support and initiative to help us continue to do our good work.”

Host Fang & Fur, is an online store selling quirky goods for cats and their humans. The idea for the auction grew from a Feline Art Competition the business ran last year. Owner Caroline Moore says, “we received so many amazing entries that I started to ponder what else could be achieved in the realm of feline art. I’ve also been wanting to get involved with animal welfare charities so the two ideas came together. Subsequently, I’ve become a bit obsessed with cat art, half my Instagram feed is made up with it!”

The Cat Art Auction is being held at Everybody’s in downtown Auckland on the afternoon of Sunday 28 August. Pre-bidding is available via the auction website.

— Event press release (modified)

“The drawing text comes from the cat-sitting instructions I would leave for my two cats Mike and Kelley in Melbourne, Australia, named after the artist Mike Kelley (RIP). They were the much loved mascots to an art gallery called Hell.”

— Jess Johnson

“I’m donating an artwork in honour of the magnificent cats I’ve been fortunate to have in my life, particularly Pipo, who appears in the artwork as a newly-adopted rescue kitten.

The work is a camera copy of the test shot (Polaroid) of Goat Sluice, one of my best-known photographs. It’s a behind-the-scenes take on the more formal final image. I’ve always loved this previously-unseen version of Goat Sluice, particularly the dangling, slightly sleepy kitten.

I originally wanted to have a baby goat in the photo, but it was too difficult, so my new little kitten Pipo was the animal model.”