Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Aug. 12, 2025 – In celebration of National Dog Day, a Jonesboro-based artist will be hosting her first “Paws for a Cause” Art Show, benefiting the Northeast Arkansas Humane Society (NEAHS), later this month at Native Brew Works.
Natausha Light, who co-owns Field and Light Design Co. with her husband, Brad Benefield, said the show began with a series of pet portraits inspired by her rescue dog, Rosie, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel mix, who had been the subject of the first colorful pet portrait earlier this year.
Then, in March, she decided that she could raise money for the Humane Society, while also promoting her own work, by offering to donate a portion of pet portrait commissions to the NEAHS.
“I knew I wanted to have a show on National Dog Day,” she said. “Ever since I found out that that was even a thing, I thought what a great day to have a show featuring mostly dogs and other animals.”
The “Boca Raton Sunrise Senior Center” series is the centerpiece of the show, Light said, which currently consists of 15 paintings with fictional backstories for each pet, who are all up to nefarious deeds.
Light said she got the idea to add humorous backstories while painting a little dog with an amusing expression on his face.
“I wrote the little fake biography for him and that just took off,” she said. “So now every time I do a painting, there is also a little fictional biography that goes with it and every animal that I paint is a resident at the fictional animal retirement center.”
Portrait subjects include a feisty pair of pooches named Saint and Nola, who “are absolute renegades of flavor” as they run the Cajun Crew at the retirement center, operating a tight kitchen staff.
The paintings and their individual writeups will be on display, allowing patrons to read each of their stories.
“It’s not like a pretentious kind of setup. You’ll come have your beer at Native and go around and read these really silly write ups and how these animals connect to each other. It should be fun,” Light said.
This dog-friendly event will also feature 6×6-inch matted prints complete with their writeups, along with colorful windchimes, pet-themed pottery and ornaments, and more.
While Light said she has no set fundraising goal in mind, 25 percent of all art sales proceeds will go to the Humane Society.
The art show will be held on Aug. 26, which is National Dog Day, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Native Brew Works, located at 515 S. Gee St.
“I’m so excited. It’s a dog-friendly event and I’ll have dog treats there, so bring your friendly dog,” Light said.
