Call for ‘Kiddy’ Artists to Participate in Facility’s Community Mural
CONTACT: Jennifer Grayston; Founder and Executive Director, Jen’s Kitty Rehab
EMAIL: [email protected] / www.jenskittyrehab.com
FORT SMITH, AR: After over two years of renovating the state-of-the-art cat rehabilitation center known as Jen’s Kitty Rehab, Jennifer Grayston and Jesse Fenwick are asking the community to get involved to put the final touches on the building. Starting now through March 12, they are calling all kids who would like to participate in a large ‘Kiddy’ Community Mural to email a photo of their original artwork along with a brief statement about why they would like to participate in the ‘Kiddy’ Community Mural to Jennifer Grayston. All elementary school-aged children are eligible to apply.
Children from a diverse array of public, private, and home schools will be able to participate in the mural as a symbol of Jen’s Kitty Rehab being a place that brings the community together around a love of and caring for cats. “We designed this space to entertain and bring people together, as well as to be a safe and clean cat rehabilitation center,” shares Jesse Fenwick, Cofounder of Jen’s Kitty Rehab.
Renovations on the facility, located at 3123 Jenny Lind Road in Fort Smith, began in May of 2018, shortly after the purchase of the building. The facility is worth upwards of $500,000 and comes complete with state-of-the-art technology, sound, lighting, and security features, as well as a large, cage-free cat room where the felines will be free to roam and socialize with humans through various activities including yoga, birthday parties, and more.
Artists have already taken to the walls and adorned JKR with murals by artists including teacher Vanessa Spellman, engineer and artist Jonathan Burchett, and professional artist Drew Smith, who painted murals all over Arkansas including in Fort Smith. They and JKR’s many supporters look forward to the date of the building’s grand opening.
“Jen’s Kitty Rehab provides a true second chance for kitties in need. Without JKR, there wouldn’t be a Pawfficer Fuzz. There wouldn’t be a Belle Star living her best life as a spoiled rotten cat. We aren’t just saving homeless cats. We are saving future family members, a girl’s first cat, a kitty to help mend a broken heart. Every community needs an organization like JKR to provide hope, show us who we truly are as a community, and to be an example,” Jennifer Grayston.
Murals are currently located inside and outside the building. Once children who are interested in participating in the mural are selected, they will have an allotted date and time to add their own original artistry to the ‘Kiddy’ Community Mural on a backdrop painted by Lyndsay Rasmussen. This is their chance to show their originality and coordinate with their peers on a mural that will be around for years to come.
