Puppy Love reception set for Saturday, Feb. 6

All types of dogs will be the stars of the show at this year’s Puppy Love juried photography exhibit at A Novel Experience during the month of February. Puppy Love, now in its ninth year, honors the unconditional love received from canine companions. The Opening Reception will be held Saturday, Feb. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. The reception is open to the public and there will be refreshments.  ’Puppy Love has established some fun traditions for the reception in recent years. This year we will make Puppy Love an ‘All-Star’ event,’ said show director Donna Thompson. ‘Guests are encouraged to wear their favorite sports jersey. There will be a Pup Rally with spirited introductions of canine guests from Coco’s Cupboard, our annual trivia contest and a silent auction with some fabulous items for dog lovers.’Because the night is dedicated to spotlight the foster dogs, canine attendance will be limited to those from the rescue. There will also be a presentation of awards for the show in addition to the Juror Talk from Gary Gruby. Gruby is a self-taught photographer who has made his profession as a fine art and commercial photographer for more than 30 years. He works from his studio in Atlanta.’We are very fortunate to have Gary Gruby as our Juror this year. He is not only an incredibly talented photographer and dog lover, he also has supported Puppy Love through the years,’ said Thompson. ’Gruby will be sharing his thoughts about the show, the selection process and his choices for awards.’  Coco’s Cupboard will be Puppy Love’s featured rescue again this year. Proceeds from this year’s show will benefit Coco’s, an all volunteer 501c3 non-profit. Coco’s has a rescue/foster program dedicated to helping find dogs a forever home. Puppy Love challenges guests to be ‘FAB’ and bring a bag of dog food to the reception. ’The FAB Challenge, ‘Fill a Bowl’, was created to help Coco’s restock their Food Pantry. It has been extremely successful in the past due to the generosity of our guests,’ said Thomposon. ‘This small gesture is such a tremendous benefit to those in need. Remember, when you Fill a Bowl, you Feed a Pup! So many times we hear that Puppy Love is a photographer’s favorite show to participate in. That’s easy to understand because we are able to enjoy beautiful and touching photographs, feature our foster dogs and have lots of fun. We hope the public will join us for the great event.’  For questions or info about the show, contact Thompson at puppylovejuriedshow@gmail.com.