Paws For Art: Children’s Museum and Great Falls Animal Shelter Launch Creative Collaboration

The City of Great Falls Animal Shelter and the Children's Museum of Montana have partnered to inspire children to develop compassion for homeless animals through art and storytelling. Every week, the museum will showcase two animals, a dog, and a cat, from the animal shelter that are looking for their forever home. Children can participate in the initiative by creating a picture or writing a story about the featured animals using their favorite writing tool or crayons. They can submit their creative works to the front desk of the Children's Museum of Montana with the permission of their parent or guardian. Every week, the stories and illustrations of a selected artist or artists will be showcased on the museum's and animal shelter's Facebook pages and will be recognized for their contribution. The first week's featured animals were Roger the dog and Smokey the cat. The Staff of the Children’s Museum of Montana selected the creative drawings by 6-year-old Raelynn. "We are delighted to partner with The City of Great Falls Animal Shelter on this meaningful project," stated Stacy Hoehn, Board President of the Children's Museum of Montana in a press release. "By combining art and storytelling, we hope to instill valuable lessons of compassion and empathy in children, while also raising awareness about the plight of homeless animals." The collaboration aims to promote empathy and kindness towards animals in need, as well as educate and inspire children. The project is expected to have a positive impact on the community by spreading compassion and empathy among the younger generation. "We are thrilled to kick off this collaboration with the Children's Museum of Montana," stated Laramie Smovir, Volunteer Coordinator at the City of Great Falls Animal Shelter in the press release. "Together, we aim to make a positive impact in our community by nurturing compassion and empathy in the hearts of children." Stay tuned for more heartwarming stories and illustrations as we continue this exciting journey of compassion and creativity. If you are interested in adopting one of the animals featured in the Animal Art Contest, you can contact the City of Great Falls Animal Shelter at 406-454-2276 or fill out an adoption application on their website.