LOWER EAST SIDE — Art and animal lovers can commission a portrait of their beloved pet and help a Brooklyn no-kill shelter in the process.
For “The Pet Episode,” a special project at the Fridge Art Fair, an artist will paint images of an owner’s dog or cat and donate half the proceeds to the Brooklyn Animal Rescue Coalition. The show opens on May 14 at the Retro Bar and Grill at the Holiday Inn at 150 Delancey St.
“They’re so amazing in everything they do. They care so much,” said Eric Ginsburg, a painter known for his portraits of dogs and cats and the founder of the show, a satellite fair during Frieze New York.
Fridge fair attendees can hand Ginsburg a photo of their beloved pet or email them, he said. The pieces range from $1,200 for a 12-by-12-inch canvas to $2,500 for a 30-by-30-inch painting, he said.
The proceeds of each sale will be split between BARC, which is based in Williamsburg, and the fair’s artist/gallery program to help showcase artists and galleries that normally would not be able to afford an art fair, he said.
The fair will also donate all proceeds from its opening night event, “The Grand Frozen Gala,” which will include performance artists, cocktails and “Fridge Fun Bags” that include original artwork Ginsburg said.
In addition to the BARC-related events, the independent art show will feature work from up to 25 artists, including the late Sol LeWitt, Ginsburg said. The exhibitor list is still being finalized, he said, but the works will include paintings, drawings and conceptual art pieces.
The Fridge Art Show is returning to the Lower East Side, where it was founded, after the closing of Angel Orensantz Foundation for the Arts forced organizers to move the event to Long Island City, Ginsburg said. The Fridge also opened a show in Miami last year.
Unlike other art fairs in the city, Ginsburg said, the Fridge Art Fair is run completely by volunteers, with the aim of being as inclusive as possible.
“Everyone’s welcome,” he said. “We want everyone who comes to Fridge to be so happy and to be welcome and to feel something — to feel the joy of art [and] to leave with a smile on their face.”
Admission is a suggested $10 donation at the door, although it will be free for students, seniors and neighborhood residents, he said. Admission to the opening gala is $30.
