The Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary is set to feature its Out of the Wild art exhibit for another year at the Rosenzweig Arts Center in Columbus, showcasing paintings created by several of Mississippi’s exotic cats.
Throughout December, numerous paintings created by lions at the sanctuary in Caledonia will be put on display along with McConnell-Dickerson art for attendees of all ages. The exhibit is set to include interactive and multimedia information to educate visitors about the sanctuary’s cats and the process behind the paintings.
“They researched and found that we [can] use nontoxic paint. Sometimes we lace those paints with essential oils that are safe for cats or different types of food products… just to get them to roll around on it,” Shelly with Cedarhill Lion Sanctuary stated on Good Things with Rebecca Turner. “Some cats love it and some don’t, but the end result is always something quite unique and beautiful.”
Cedarhill is currently the only animal sanctuary in the state that cares for exotic species of cats, with the sanctuary housing several tigers, lions, bobcats, house cats, and more.
Shelly explained that out of the numerous types of cats at the sanctuary, the lions seem to enjoy creating art the most.
“We are still trying to teach the lions how not to eat their art. They do love to eat the canvases,” Shelly added. “Safari has gotten himself a pretty impressive collection, but Jala has emerged as our budding artist.”
The opening ceremony for the exhibit will be held at the art center from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on December 1, with the proceeds set to raise funds for the animal sanctuary.
“We are 100 percent donation-funded, so we are run only because of the good people that send us their donations,” Shelly said.
To see the entire interview, continue watching below.
