COMPASSION ARTS FESTIVAL
Linnea Ryshke, “Cleaved”
Compassion Arts Festival 2023
November 8th – 12th
Compassion Arts presents an annual ‘festival of the arts’ every fall to highlight the work of artists for animals and to advance creative projects partnered with other groups.
Now in its eighth year, Compassion Arts Festival is in the process of undergoing changes to launch anew in 2024 as part of a future virtual arts center. In the interim, a smaller ‘mini-fest’ is being presented for Compassion Arts Festival 2023 online Nov. 8th—12th as a bridge during this transition, to share artists’ work and spotlight developing projects.
Please Note: Registration closes 3 hours before each event
See the CAF EVENTS PAGE for 2023 Festival line-up
PAST FESTIVALS
To see a list of past presenters, click here.
In addition to presenters, we are also grateful for the different Festival images each year from artists who give permission for us to share their work in representing the Festivals’ themes. The above images are Festival flyers for the past seven years, starting with the most recent.
Top Row, Left to Right 2021-2018: “Egrets in Fog” photo by Chris Taylor, “Farm Sanctuary” photo by Derek Goodwin, “Casey Making a Nest” photo by Jo-Anne McArthur, “Crossing Over” by Janell O’Rourke.
Bottom Row, Left to Right 2017-2015: “Encounter” by Cyrus Mejia, “Lamby” by Jane O’Hara, “Red Moon & Woman with Three Doves” by Linda G. Fisher, Compassion Arts original logo design by Laurie Johnston
ARTISTS FOR AHIMSA AWARD
Since 2018, the Compassion Arts Festival has given an ARTISTS FOR AHIMSA award every year to spotlight the work of individuals using creativity to advocate for animals, and doing so in a way that can potentially advance the work of others wanting to help animals or that can help animals directly. Past Ahimsa Award honorees include:
2021 Dr. Aysha Akhtar — animal advocate and author of “Our Symphony With Animals”, founder of the Center for Contemporary Sciences a non-profit organization in innovation and education for replacing animal testing, artist, speaker, neuroscientist and US Army veteran.
2020 Cyrus Mejia — animal advocate and artist, co-founder of Best Friends Animal Society a non-profit animal rescue and humane education and outreach organization, and co- founder of Raven’s Heart Gallery a visual arts gallery featuring art for expanding compassion for animals and the natural world.
2019 Jo-Anne McArthur — animal advocate and award- winning photographer and photojournalist, speaker, author of “Captive” and “We Animals”, co-author of “The Animals are Leaving Us” and “Hidden: Animals in the Anthropocene”, founder of We Animals Media and the Unbound Project.
2018 Allison Argo — animal advocate and multiple Emmy-award winning filmmaker, producer, writer and director of documentaries on animals for over 25 years – her work reaches an expansive audience worldwide and has been seen on PBS, National Geographic, and developed for programs in humane education for all ages, from children to adults.
