Image credits at the bottom of this page

Compassion Arts is an all-volunteer grassroots arts and education initiative for inspiring a deeper understanding of and compassion for other animals and the earth we share.  The Compassion Arts project and collective, now in its seventh year, hosts an annual festival every fall and offers programs year round for exploring our connection with all life. 

Compassion Arts is not a non-profit organization and does not accept donations. Our programs are free and are made possible by the presenters, artists, friends, volunteers and non-profit organizations that we co-partner with for many of our events. 

MISSION

To serve as a platform for sharing the projects of creative artists and educators who seek to use their artistry and work to cultivate compassion for all life.

To present online programs to a wide audience of people, for exploring our relationship with other animals and sharing ways for cruelty-free living.

To inspire creativity, in different mediums, for encouraging new perspectives on peace and empathy for human and non-human animals and the Earth.

To partner with other organizations in outreach for helping animals directly by connecting with the work of sanctuaries, conservation and education programs.

Collective

Compassion Arts programs are created, developed and coordinated by a small collective of artists, musicians, filmmakers, performers, writers, animal advocates and educators. The collective team that helps in the planning and presenting of programs can change depending on availability, since Compassion Arts is all-volunteer. 

In addition to the collective organizers, we invite different presenters each year to be featured guests or to co-partner with us in events such as speaker roundtables, readings, performing arts presentations, exhibits, workshops, concerts, educational projects, community art, tours at sanctuaries, vegan potlucks and other programs.

COMPASSION ARTS FESTIVAL 

Each year, we host an annual festival of the arts (Compassion Arts Festival) to highlight programs that we’ve developed during the year, as well as to feature special guests whose work we want to share, and to launch new programs for the coming year. Some of our festival programs are from people in our collective team and others are from both emerging and established artists, educators, and advocates who are new to us. Past festival presenters are listed on the ARCHIVES page of this website. Some of them include (in alphabetical order) : Allison Argo, Gene Baur,  Michael Harren, Joanne Kong, April Lang, Isa Leshko, Lisa Levinson, Jasmine Leyva, Jo-Anne McArthur, Sheryl Miller, Victoria Moran, Marlene Narrow, Jane O’Hara, Janell O’Rourke, Martin Rowe, Kathy Stevens, Donald Vincent, Alfee West and many others.  For more info visit our FESTIVAL page or the festival website www.compassionartsfestival.org 

PROGRAMS 

We base the foundation of all of our work and presentations on our core programs. These include COMPASSION SPEAKS for speaker events such as guest talks, roundtables, discussion circles, readings, and our podcast launching in November; AHIMSA SONG for music events such as concerts, songwriter circles and the Compassion Chorus (currently in development); ANIMAL STORY for writing workshops for sharing the true stories of animals who have transformed our lives, poetry workshops about animals and the ways we are connected, original theater works, multi-media and performing arts events; and THRU THEIR EYES for visual arts programs, exhibits, film, and community art projects.  

See PROGRAMS page for more details

OUTREACH

One of the primary goals of Compassion Arts is to PARTNER whenever possible with other projects and non-profit organizations that help animals directly or encourage appreciation for nature and vegan peace. We do this by highlighting the work of sanctuaries and hosting virtual sanctuary tours, and by also offering workshops and programs that support animal caregivers and rescuers.  In addition, we bring speaker panels and presentations to Veg Fests and events on climate change and conservation. We offer creative arts and education presentations to healing arts programs, spiritual communities, and contribute to projects for social justice, non-violence, food empowerment, and healing from trauma, violence or abuse, to show how all of these intersect with the treatment of animals and our relationship with the natural world. 

ARTISTS FOR AHIMSA AWARD

Every fall, Compassion Arts selects an artist for animal advocacy for our annual Artists for Ahimsa Award, to kick off Compassion Arts Festival. The purpose of the award is to honor and express gratitude to individuals who are using their work as an instrument for deepening understanding, compassion, and respect for animals in multiple ways that

(1) Inspires empathy and connection with animals

(2) Helps animals directly

 (3) Provides a platform for advocacy and education for others to work from

Our “award” is a custom painting created by artist Jane O’Hara for each honoree about their work. Past recipients are filmmaker Allison Argo (2018) (link www.argofilms.com ) of Argo Films and The Last Pig, photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur (2019) (link to www.joannemcarthur.com ) of We Animals Media and Unbound Project, and artist and animal advocate Cyrus Mejia (2020) ( link www.cyrusmejia.com ) , co-founder of Best Friends Animal Society and Ravens Heart Gallery. 

Our 2021 Artist for Ahimsa Award honoree will be announced November 14th.

Image Credits for SlideShow at top of page from L-R:

Egrets in Fog photo by Chris Taylor, Farm Sanctuary photo by Derek Goodwin, Jane O'Hara painting "Forget Me Not", "The Last Pig" film, "A Prayer for Compassion" film, "Vegan Paradise" album by Mr. Hip, "The Invisible Vegan" film, Climate Healers, Luiso Garcia artwork "Freedom", CAF2019 "Casey Making a Nest" photo by Jo-Anne McArthur, CAF2018 "Crossing Over" painting by Janell O'Rourke, CAF2017 "Encounter" painting by Cyrus Mejia, CAF2016 "Lamby" painting by Jane O'Hara, CAF2015 "Red Moon & Woman with 3 Doves" painting by Linda G. Fisher, publisher Martin Rowe speaking on "We Animals", photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur on "Captive", Beasts of Burden exhibit NYC 2017, artist Jane O'Hara, poet Donald Vincent, musician Joy Askew, Benefit for Maple Farm Sanctuary, poet Gretchen Primack, multi-arts performer Michael Harren, "Food Chain Re-Imagined" ensemble and filmmaker Melissa Miller Wolfson, Farm Sanctuary founder Gene Baur , "Kedi" film, "World Peace Diet" author Will Tuttle - and beloved Josie ,whose irrepressible spirit of love lives on as the soul of inspiration in the creation of Compassion Arts.