Going all the way back to ancient Egypt, artists have been fascinated by felines. Modern day iterations include websites like LOLCATZ, the rise in fame of Grumpy Cat, and a pervasive presence of whiskered faces on the internet.
But before Felis domesticus dominated cyberspace, an organization in Lompoc dedicated itself to helping animals in the county animal shelter, with a specific focus on cats. Now operating three different shelter locations, the Volunteers for Inter-Valley Animals (VIVA) houses more than 150 cats in its main shelter location, explained Lynn Andrews, a former employee and longtime volunteer of VIVA, and a featured photographer in a fundraising exhibit for the organization.
Andrews is one of many volunteers who regularly show up in the evening or mornings to feed the cats, scrub the floors, and clean the many litter boxes there.
“Most of us are professionals or past professionals, but we all love animals,” she said. “We all come together and get it done, every morning and every night.”
The shelter is a therapeutic place to visit, Andrews said, even on nights when she’s tired and would rather not help clean more than 100 litter boxes. There’s always a friendly greeting from a cat, and more often many, which makes it all worth the effort, she said.
Andrews has found artistic inspiration in the feline form, and VIVA has offered her endless subjects to explore. A huge collection of Andrews’ photography is currently on show in Lompoc at South Side Coffee Company as part of VIVA’s annual fundraiser show, which sells the framed photos, cards, and other works of art that highlight cats.
“I love faces, and their eyes, so a lot of the pictures are close-ups of their faces,” she said. “So, you see happy cats and sad cats, all sorts.”
The exhibit features mostly Andrews’ photography, but there is also work from other local artists and VIVA volunteers. They include Bruce Stovall, Linda Hess, and Dr. Heather Kennedy. Kennedy, a veterinarian, volunteered at VIVA for years, before she decided to go back to school to become a vet. It’s just one example of the kind of determination and dedication VIVA volunteers have in their hopes of helping the animals.
VIVA organizes the art exhibition every year in order to help raise funds to support the cats, whether at the main sanctuary or the other two facilities they run. These include a feral cat sanctuary and the Sylvester House, which is a “retirement home” for aging cats.
The art show serves a dual purpose acting as a great fundraiser and also a way to increase the visibility of VIVA and the animals it serves in the community, Andrews explained. Hopefully, she said, the show will lead to more visits to their facilities, volunteers, and adoptions.
“What I’m trying to do is build awareness in the community that they are there,” she said, “and they are wonderful little kitties.”
Arts Editor Joe Payne can’t wait to visit a houseful of cats. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 11-18, 2016.
