Bicoastal commercial visual effects studio Animal has announced the creation of The Animal Art Fund, a charitable function of the company to benefit arts education and animal welfare, areas which reflect Animal‘s strongly held company values.
Animal has organized a series of fundraising art exhibits that will be shown at its Venice studio. The Animal Art Fund will be formally inaugurated on Thursday, January 13, with an invitation only exhibit featuring the work of artists Yarrow Earth Hock and Thuy Le. New shows will continue throughout the year and proceeds will be directed to local animal shelters.
The first Animal Art Fund Series will feature the work of Yarrow Earth Hock and Thuy Le. Hock, a graduate of Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts, has been described as a plein air painter for the post-modern age. His work has been shown at galleries in New York and California and his large-scale commissions are found in many major Southern California collections. Le was born in Vietnam and later relocated to Los Angeles, where he graduated from California State Polytechnic University of Pomona with a B.F.A. in Painting. His work has been shown at the Downey Museum of Art, Red House Gallery and Eagle Rock Brewery.
Animal has a long history of philanthropy stemming from its Pittsburgh headquarters. Animal has endowed for many years two education scholarships at Carnegie Mellon University: the Animal Legacy Scholarship, awarded to students within the College of Fine Arts and the School of Design. Animal also supports The Art Institute of Pittsburgh with its sponsorship of cash prizes to students in the illustration class.
Animal‘s most significant pro bono project to date has been “Peace for Dogs,” a spot the studio produced, animated and self funded. Animal, which has animated the Taco Bell Chihuahua, the Taco Bell Lions and the California Cheese Happy Cows, created a poignant and compelling PSA about dog fighting, told from the perspective of the dogs themselves. The spot was designed to be used by multiple animal welfare and rescue organizations.
Animal co-founder Michael Killen stated, “We are a global integrated society, from nations to cultures to species. We feel strongly that we have to be responsible participants in this vast community. Acting on behalf of causes we believe in has become an important expression of our culture at Animal.”
Leslie Sorrentino, Animal‘s executive producer said, “The Animal Art Fund forges a connection with the Venice community that has so strongly embraced us. It is the perfect way to start the New Year.”
About ANIMAL
Bicoastal commercial visual effects studio Animal has announced the creation of The Animal Art Fund, a charitable function of the company to benefit arts education and animal welfare, areas which reflect Animal‘s strongly held company values.
Founded in 2001 by director and visual effects artist Michael Killen, visual effects artist Jim Kreitzburg and executive producer Kathy Dziubek, Animal operates as a lean, multi-disciplinary bicoastal studio. Animal‘s East and West Coast studios have partnered with national and international brands and advertising agencies to deliver world-class visual effects and transmedia for the broadcast, broadband and feature film worlds.
Animal‘s Venice studio opened in June of this year to expand the company’s home base in Pittsburgh to the West Coast. Animal‘s next-generation business model interweaves post production and production, providing creative and technical involvement at the conceptual stage, as well as on set supervision and custom-tailored services across the range of offerings from both studios, including motion graphics, visual effects and CGI, color grading, finishing and compositing.
Animal recently delivered “Love What You Do,” a massive worldwide campaign for BlackBerry Torch, and has been awarded feature film visual effects production on the dramatic comedy “Earthbound.”
For more information, please visit: www.animalwest.com
