Mulberry Art Studios, 21 N. Mulberry St., Lancaster, invites all animal lovers and artists to share their submissions for its annual "We Love Our Pets" show. The show will exhibit during the month of May for National Pet Month, and submissions will be accepted until Monday, April 10.

Submissions may be artwork in any medium, such as photography, sculpture, painting or collage, and both professional and amateur artists of any age are encouraged to participate. All artwork is free to submit, and artists may submit any number of pieces. Mulberry Art Studios will accept five to eight pieces of artwork per adult and three pieces per child.

The only criterion for submissions is that they depict an animal that would reasonably be kept as a pet, meaning that pieces that portray fictional and undomesticated animals will not be accepted. "It doesn't have to be your pet specifically, but it has to be reasonable," said Stephanie Kulfan, gallery curator at Mulberry Art Studios. "It's supposed to be a celebration of our love of animals and their significance in our lives."

Mulberry Art Studios created "We Love Our Pets" five years ago, after gallery owner April Koppenhaver experienced two significant losses in her life. Koppenhaver's husband, Charles Gaul, and her beagle mix, Milo, both passed away within a month of each other, and Koppenhaver and Kulfan wanted to create a way to honor them. They decided to start an annual community art show that would be centered around pets and that would benefit an animal rescue in the area. Each year, Mulberry Art Studios supports the Sebastian Foundation for Animal Rescue by donating a portion of all art sales from the exhibit. On opening night, members of the Sebastian Foundation will have a table at the studio to accept donations, and several vendors will be present to sell pet-related items.

Last year, 162 pieces were accepted from over 100 artists from across the county. Many art teachers even incorporated the show into their curriculum, helping students to create artwork of their beloved pets to submit for the show.

Although the show began prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kulfan believes that the struggles of the pandemic made many people realize how much they appreciated their animals. "Everyone was spending more time at home and realized how much having animal companions helped us," said Kulfan. "People realized the comfort that animals give you."

To submit a piece of artwork for the show, email Kulfan at Stephanie.MulberryArt@gmail.com.