Atlantic City International Airport’s ArtPort Program is going to the dogs!

May’s “ArfPort” show features the work of two artists who specialize in animals, a doggie fashion show and “Elwood” the world’s ugliest dog!!!

Show benefits New Jersey Aid for Animals, a non profit animal welfare group

EGG HARBOR TWP. – The Atlantic City International Airport will help raise funds during the kick-off of it’s May “ArtPort” for New Jersey Aid for Animals whose mission is to aid abused and injured animals with a focus on Camden City, New Jersey. Featured at the event will be a gallery show by two accomplished Southern New Jersey artists and a haute couture doggie fashion show with many local pooches and featuring “Elwood”, NJ’s ugliest dog.

The work of Mount Laurel artist Linda Townshend, who specializes in painting pets, and Woodbury Heights artist Brendon Connors, who specializes in painting a variety of animals with a focus on cows, will be on display in the ArtPort gallery beginning May 1 through the end of the month.

WHAT: Open House
WHEN: Tuesday, May 8
WHERE: Atlantic City International Airport Terminal
TIME: 5:30 to 7:30
ADMISSION Free, refreshments provided, cash bar

**Parking is free. Park in lots. Shuttles to terminal run continuously, tickets will be validated at the show

The doggie couture, created and designed by Veronica Ferriera, owner of Fur Fantasy at EveryPetsDream.com (all faux fur) will be available for sale that evening with proceeds being donated to New Jersey Aid for Animals..

Broadcaster Dave Bontempo, who reports for such networks as ESPN, Showtime, HBO and many pay-per-view outlets, will announce the fashion show. Decorations for the event and doggy fashion show are being provided by Ron Fried of Atlantic City Star Decorating Studios.

Brendon Connors grew up in Woodbury Heights, N.J. and attended Gateway High School and Cook College. Although he had originally intended to become a veterinarian, he decided instead to parlay his love for animals into painting. “One of the reasons I paint cattle is because you see them less and less,” said Connors, who primarily paints in acrylic and/or oil on canvas, wood board or paper. “The decline of the smaller family-run farms in favor of factory operations does not bode well environmentally and places the nation’s food supply in a precarious position.”

Connors has participated in dozens of solo and group exhibitions and his work is found in many individual collections. In 1990 The Museum of Modern Art chose his painting “Green Python” to put in a show called Menagerie which was lent to the General Electric Company. In 1996, Connors work was selected for the pheasant/quail license stamp for the NJ Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife. In 2001, one of Connor’s paintings of a Holstein cow in a milking stanchion won the Len G> Everett award at the 88th annual Allied Artists Show at the National Arts Club in New York City. More information about his work can be found at www.brendonconnors.com.

Linda Townshend graduated from the Philadelphia College of Art with a BFA in illustration, with additional emphasis on calligraphy and realist painting. She has since had a long, productive career as an illustrator, painter and calligrapher. Her most recognizable work can be found on Arizona Iced Tea labels. Clients have included Cigna Corporation, the Historical Society of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Kennedy Health System, Highlights for Children and numerous textbook publishing companies. She taught painting, drawing, and calligraphy for many years at Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown, NJ.

Over time the demand for Linda’s paintings increased. She now focuses primarily on painting portraits by commission, with a concentration on beloved family pets. She is recognized for her attention to detail and her ability to capture the individuality and essence of her subjects. Her paintings are executed in the style of the old masters, with a detailed underpainting and many layers of luminous glazes, and are destined to become heirlooms.

She currently maintains her studio in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and is accepting commissions of pets, people who own them and those who have heard of them.
The Atlantic City International Airport has experienced an increase in passengers over the last several years, with about a million passengers moving through the airport annually. SJTA estimates that utilization of the airport could increase by double digits in the next couple of years with the expected addition of new airlines and new airline routes.

The Atlantic City International Airport has experienced an increase in passengers over the last several years, with approximately one million passengers moving through the airport annually. SJTA estimates that utilization of the airport could increase by double digits in the next couple of years with the expected addition of new airlines and new airline routes.

In order to accommodate this expected growth, the Authority is in the midst of a major expansion and improvement program that includes renovation and expansion of the terminal building and the construction of a 1,400-space parking garage just steps from the terminal.

The South Jersey Transportation Authority, which owns and operates the airport, launched the ArtPort: Where Art Meets Travel program in September 2006 to help support the arts community and to provide a pleasant diversion for air travelers waiting to go through security.

Information on the Atlantic City International Airport and its ArtPort program, go to www.sjta.com.