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Lynda Anderson: Best In Show
When you learn that "Strut Your Mutt" is the theme of the 2nd Annual Locust Valley Dog Festival, you may think purebreds are excluded. Not so. Lynda Anderson, the festival founder, is quick to let you know that all dogs are welcome.
The event is a whimsical version of a Westminster-type show. Dogs enter the ring already knowing they are winners. Their doggie-hairdo may lack a certain runway look but that's the point. They are just dogs strutting their stuff - fluff, tail-wagging and voicing plenty of "RUFF-RUFFS, GRRRRRS and AHROOS."
Since four, Lynda, the founder of the festival, has never been without a dog by her side. Gidget, her first, was a sheepdog. Her mother chose the breed to match the needs of a little girl with a habit of wandering off for amazing and imaginative adventures. The idea was that a herding dog would safely wangle the pixie-spirited gamine safely back home.
Lynda Anderson: My mom made the task of tracking me down much easier; 'Look for the little girl with the big dog.' Gidget was fabulous. She'd pick me up after school and was game for anything. |
Artwork by Steve Parton |
Anyone who knows Lynda will attest to her ability, then and now, to coax anyone into an extra hour of anything she envisions as "play". Gidget, a willing companion, was more than a best friend and sidekick. To Lynda she was the world. Under Lynda's tutelage, the 90 pound pup was happily cajoled into learning how to navigate down a slide. "She loved it." The reality is that everyone, two or four-legged, enjoys hanging out with someone known for their zest for life. |
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Lynda's passionate energy and belief in all things being possible was the perfect backdrop for what has become her fascinating and discerning eye for art. She grew to become the area's premiere art dealer, first selling privately and then opening Lynda Anderson Galleries in 1984. Her ability to enter a room and know how to match art to the residence and owner is flawless. Last year, when putting together a show entitled "Dogs in Art", she connected all of her first loves - dogs, art and family.
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Lynda: Dogs have always been an inseparable part of my family. As kids we came home from school and took the dogs out to play. They'd follow along with us on bike rides and be part of the gang. Today dogs aren't allowed off leash and kids spend their time watching videos or going to lessons. Families got busy, dogs got bored and lonely, and so they chew shoes and furniture. Shelters also got filled. We need to bring the dog back to the family. Let everyone get involved. We also need to recognize moms, because we all know they are the ones who really feed, walk and take care of the dog. |
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Opening night for the Locust Valley Dog Festival begins on May 11, 2007 at the "Dogs in Art" show (6-9pm). Meet the artists for a wine reception and shop for Mother's Day knowing that a percentage of your purchases will help to raise funds for the Glen Cove Animal Lovers League.
"Dogs in Art" will feature artwork from the following artists: Colleen Barry, Melissa Bartlett, Jim Dratfield, Carol Saxe, Mandy Shonzeit and Steve Parton.
Artwork by Mandy Shonzeit |
Artwork by Jim Dratfield |
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| Yvonne Conza, Founder of WOOF Patrol - ph: 917.847.2854 |
May 2007 |
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