Walk on the Wild Side: Furry Friends
ON VIEW: April 9 – May 9, 2026
OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, April 9, 2026, 5:30pm to 7:00pm
Join us for the Opening Reception of Walk on the Wild Side: Furry Friends and be among the first to experience the exhibition. Meet participating artists, witness the presentation of First, Second, and Third Place awards, and take part in selecting the People’s Choice Award. In partnership with Suffolk Humane Society, guests may include a few furry companions.
Free to attend and open to the public. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, light refreshments, and live music.
THEME: Furry Friends
Walk on the Wild side returns this year to depict furry animals. The thick and soft hair of fur resides on many animals, especially on our favorite domesticated pets of cats and dogs. We ask visual artists from all mediums and art techniques to create artwork of furry animals ranging from pet portraits of an artist’s favorite cats, dogs, rabbit, guinea pig or others to furry creatures in the wild such as foxes, pandas, lions, bears and beavers or even the woolly mammoth.
Jurors
Cindy Johnson – Program Supervisor/Curator – Downing Gross Cultural Arts Center
Cindy Johnson is a Program Supervisor with the City of Newport News, Virginia where she has been honing her curatorial practice since 2017. In her current role, she develops exhibitions and programming that highlight local and national artistic talent of all ages. She emphasizes helping to develop early career artists, while also illuminating and supporting established artists. She also supports other curators on their journeys by hosting and mentoring guest curators at her gallery. Johnson developed and created the current exhibitions program at the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center. Some of her curated exhibits include In Ella’s Lifetime – 100 Artists for Ella, A Space of Her Own, A Space of Our Own, Evolution of an Initial Impact, (-ism), Patrick Mills: A Celebration, and more. Johnson is honored to jury this exhibition.
She has her B.A. in Art & Archaeology from Princeton University.
Donna Maria Colby, PhD – President of the Board of Directors, Suffolk Humane Society
Donna Maria serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Suffolk Humane Society and teaches in the Department of Communication at Regent University. She has spent more than 20 years advancing mission-driven organizations in the nonprofit sector. Donna Maria served as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the AQS National Quilt Museum, working with international fiber artists and national exhibitions. She also managed the donor quilt program for LifeNet Health honoring organ and tissue donors. She is delighted to bring her passion for arts, philanthropy, and community engagement to the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts for the Walk on the Wild Side: Furry Friends exhibition.
The Suffolk Center is pleased to highlight Suffolk Humane Society as a valued community partner for Walk on the Wild Side: Furry Friends. In addition to serving as a guest juror through Board President Donna Maria Colby, PhD, Suffolk Humane Society will also celebrate the connection between art and animal advocacy at its upcoming Paws for the Arts fundraiser. Select artwork from Furry Friends will also be featured at the event, extending the exhibit’s impact in support of animals in need.
More About Paws for the Arts HERE or at suffolkhumanesociety.com
Exhibit Sponsored in part by:
Thank you to our Premier Partners:
