Art with Heart: Shelter Pet Portraits by Seniors at Paws With Cause

Going to a mall now is a completely different experience from their heyday in the '80s. The crowds are gone, along with many of the major retailers, but sometimes a compassionate community charity can thrive in their place. In Everett Mall, you can find Paws With Cause, a unique outsider art gallery.

Find Paws With Cause in "The Old Macy's Wing" // Christopher Bragg

You can find portraits of shelter pets there, most of which are painted by senior citizens. Founder Alix Frazier created the program because she found the options for senior activities lacking while caring for her mother with Alzheimer's disease. The concept came together when she painted her own cats which she adopted from Purrfect Pals to donate for one of their fundraisers.

Paws With Cause founder Alix Frazier works closely with Kathleen Shaw of Community Cat Coalition // Christopher Bragg

Working with about 100 seniors she taught to paint, Frazier built a large inventory of art you can find for sale all over Snohomish County at places like Fred Meyer, animal shelters, and even in an upcoming show at Schack Art Center. Each painting is displayed with info about the pet, including where they can be adopted. Of course there's a chance that the pet is already claimed, but if that's the case, the shelter will have plenty of other pets to meet.

My favorite part of the program is what happens to the paintings that are unsold after being shown in several locations: Frazier contacts the pet's owner via the shelter and gives them the painting for free.

I collect orange art so I snapped up this painting of Joey, seen here with a Starheadboy robot // Christopher Bragg

You can get in on the fun, too. Painting events are held in the gallery the fourth Wednesday each month at 10:30 a.m. RSVP now for August 28th or like the gallery on Facebook and keep an eye out for future events. Frazier also hopes to eventually staff the studio with volunteers so people can drop in and paint, especially in the morning so mall walkers can wind down after their walk.

The gallery is always open during mall hours, even without staff. You can drop in any time, grab a painting, and pay with one of several apps. QR codes can be scanned for more info throughout the gallery, and soon an Amazon Echo will be available to answer your questions.

Putting technology to work in the gallery // Christopher Bragg

All of this is made possible by Everett Mall, which generously donates the space for free. The security guard checks in regularly and the nearby coffee stand owner helps keep an eye on things. In the four months since the gallery opened, there hasn't been any theft or vandalism.

There are many opportunities to get involved. If you'd like to volunteer, please email Frazier: PawsWithCause@outlook.com. Stop by the gallery any time during mall hours to find a fun painting or maybe even your next pet.