ArtBeat: Art Saves Animals – Tonight

We love art.

We love animals.

And we especially love it when Art Saves Animals – which is the name of the Mohawk & Hudson River Humane Society’s fifth annual fundraising art auction and benefit, which is being hosted by the Albany Institute of History & Art tonight Thursday, October 8 from 5:30-8:30pm. Guha and Karthik Bala, founders of the high tech gaming company Vicarious Visions, are the honorary chairs of the event.

The event features a cocktail reception, as well as live and silent auctions of more than 150 pieces of original artwork and hand-crafted items.

Nationally acclaimed for his retro-looking dog and cat art, Ken Bailey is this year’s featured artist, and he has donated a signed, limited edition print of “The Good Life.” The auction will also feature “Golden Retriever,” a signed giclee print on canvas by internationally renowned dog artist Marc Tetro. Vicarious Visions has donated a complete Guitar Hero World Tour game, including one-of-a-kind custom-painted guitar controllers. And if you’re looking for something a little extra special to spice up your living room walls, this evening’s auction will also feature a piece created by Sela, a 26-year-old Indonesian elephant from the Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project.

That’s right – artwork painted by an elephant. We hear she’s pretty good, too.

Tickets are still available and may per purchased online or at the door. The cost is $40.00 per person. And it’s all for a good cause.