Cat Food Can Art
This is the story of how we started using CAT FOOD CANS in our art...
Ruby
Dear Purina! - you are to be congratulated!...
February 2010
In all my years on the Internet, I've never had anything move me like your advertisement! The words jumped off the screen, grabbed me, shook me up and down; they screamed & whooped, "You can do this! Do it! Do it! Do it!"
In order to demonstrate the recyclability of pet food cans and celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Friskies and Fancy Feast created the "Together We Can" campaign. The program wanted to bring together more than 100 artists nationwide (including some celebrities!), to create art work out of used Friskies and Fancy Feast cat food cans.
The art work would then be displayed at The "RePURRposed" Gallery, a one-of-a-kind event on April 14, 2010 in New York City and some of the work would be auctioned on eBay, with the proceeds going to Keep America Beautiful.
Friskies and Fancy Feast wanted 100 people to make a work of art from used cat food cans!
YES!- I pounced on that online application like Charlie on a catnip mouse!...
and within 10 seconds of pressing "submit", I panicked -
I could visualize the art I wanted to do - but (with multiple sclerosis) did I still have
the hand strength to do it?
The art work would then be displayed at The "RePURRposed" Gallery, a one-of-a-kind event on April 14, 2010 in New York City and some of the work would be auctioned on eBay, with the proceeds going to Keep America Beautiful.
Friskies and Fancy Feast wanted 100 people to make a work of art from used cat food cans!
YES!- I pounced on that online application like Charlie on a catnip mouse!...
and within 10 seconds of pressing "submit", I panicked -
I could visualize the art I wanted to do - but (with multiple sclerosis) did I still have
the hand strength to do it?
I'd just signed an electronic agreement to create and send art that might be physically impossible for me to do. - and the 100 artists who were chosen would be notified before the end of the month! The homemade tools for metal working came out of retirement and parts of cat food cans began flying EVERYWHERE... I had to know; I had to know... |
AND SOON I DID KNOW!- as cats emerged from those metal pieces!
Not one, but THREE works of art were underway!
There was just one thing...
Not to be deterred, the first necklace was finished & an email (with photos) was sent to Britta Olson...
and an answer was soon received! -
I was invited to participate in the event!
I was invited to participate in the event!
Knowing the art would be in the gallery and on eBay - and fueled by the excitement of
receiving all that free CAT FOOD! - I continued work on the other two pieces... THEN
"ME" became "WE" as my partner joined in the challenge!
Caught up by the challenge herself and knowing the art was for a good cause, she jumped
in to help with the work; brainstorming ideas, cutting wood, making beads, carving. There
were leftover cats that had been worked from the metal food cans... working together, (as
YoungMiller!) we could use them all!
The 3 pieces became a 7-piece jewelry collection
(with 3 additional items sent just for fun!)
Six of the necklaces were put into the eBay charitable auction!
receiving all that free CAT FOOD! - I continued work on the other two pieces... THEN
"ME" became "WE" as my partner joined in the challenge!
Caught up by the challenge herself and knowing the art was for a good cause, she jumped
in to help with the work; brainstorming ideas, cutting wood, making beads, carving. There
were leftover cats that had been worked from the metal food cans... working together, (as
YoungMiller!) we could use them all!
The 3 pieces became a 7-piece jewelry collection
(with 3 additional items sent just for fun!)
Six of the necklaces were put into the eBay charitable auction!
The FRISKIES and FANCY FEAST charitable auction took place
on eBay April 19-29,2010
On May 1, 2010, Good Morning America did a brief segment on the Friskies and
Fancy Feast recycling campaign (2 of the pieces we made were shown).
on eBay April 19-29,2010
On May 1, 2010, Good Morning America did a brief segment on the Friskies and
Fancy Feast recycling campaign (2 of the pieces we made were shown).
Far from being over, we were blessed with a new medium to use in our art...
Something had persistantly tugged at me while working with the cans; there was something MORE that wanted to be seen, something MORE that wanted to be discovered. I mentioned this tugging to my partner and we pondered it, prayed on it.
A happy accident revealed that "something more"...
The cat food can art could be made to look like aged silver!
Designs and potentials abounded! - Those metal-working tools would not be retired (again)...
there would be future use of cat food cans in our art afterall!
Charlie and Ruby love it! - they willingly help (by emptying out the cans!).
The 5 dogs, on the other hand, are not amused.
Designs and potentials abounded! - Those metal-working tools would not be retired (again)...
there would be future use of cat food cans in our art afterall!
Charlie and Ruby love it! - they willingly help (by emptying out the cans!).
The 5 dogs, on the other hand, are not amused.
Patience, pups!... your time to shine (from metal cans!) may soon come!