Local artist Andrew Criss is well known for his paintings
of beach and Boardwalk scenes in the Rehoboth area. He also has a deep concern about homeless, abused dogs and cats, and
he is helping them with his dog and cat logos for T-shirts that are being sold to support Safe Haven No-Kill Animal Sanctuary,
which will soon start construction in Georgetown.
Criss works in oils, painting landscapes and portraits. His works hang in private collections throughout the United
States and Canada, and he has shown in many galleries, including one-person shows in Lewes, Rehoboth and Washington, D.C.
Anyone wondering why this artist would design a logo for a T-shirt has to understand how he feels about animals.
Criss supports the no-kill ethic that is the foundation of Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary. “Having a dog
has taught me a lot of personal responsibility, and it’s exposed me to the world of the animal shelters. Domestic
dogs and cats are the products of breeding, and their welfare is our responsibility. I only adopt from shelters, and I try
to remind others of the need to take responsibility and spay/neuter. I’d like to see shelter crowding go down, and
the need for euthanasia to go away,” Criss said.
This summer, construction will
start on the Safe Haven green building, situated on 13 acres of forest land. When the sanctuary is completed and opens
in 2011, Safe Haven will care for 200 cats and 200 dogs at a time. With a proactive adoption program, Safe Haven plans
to provide a home for 2,000 animals every year. Animals that are not adopted can live out their natural lives at the no-kill
sanctuary. Safe Haven will not put down cats or dogs except when extreme pain and suffering cannot be eased by means of
good medical care.
To help support Safe Haven, Criss has donated signed, limited-edition
prints for auction at Safe Haven’s annual fundraiser, Cause for Paws. In addition, he gives a large percentage of
the sales price for any limited-edition print sold through the Safe Haven website. George Coscia, a Safe Haven board member,
said, “When I met Andrew and we discussed Safe Haven and our building program, he immediately said ‘What can
I do?’ We’re delighted to have him supporting us.”
Coscia asked Criss
if he would design the T-shirt logo for Tails on the Trails, a 5K run and 1-mile walk for people and dogs that is held at
Cape Henlopen State Park. Lois Fargo, cofounder of Safe Haven and a member of the board, started Tails on the Trails in
2008.
Not only did Criss agree to design the logo for the T-shirts, he also signed
the T-shirts at Tails on the Trails, which was a huge hit with everyone. In addition, Criss served with George Coscia as
a judge of the Funny Dogs Contest, where he decided on winners of events such as Best Lap Dog, Most Disobedient and Best
Kisser.
According to Criss, “The running dog logo is based on my dog, Cleo, who
came from the local shelter. I take her running on the local bike trail. She’ll go happily for miles. So when Safe
Haven said they needed an image of a dog for a fundraising run, I knew the perfect model.” The dog logo was such a
hit at Tail on the Trails that Safe Haven asked Criss to do a companion design with a cat for cat lovers in the area.
The titles of his one-person exhibitions show that influence. His recent one-person exhibitions
in Lewes include D is for Delaware and Small Wonders at Peninsula Gallery in Lewes.
The
Rehoboth Art League exhibited the works of Criss at The Beach Ball Show. One-person exhibitions in Washington, D.C., include
Sleeping Dogs Lie at gallery plan b. Criss moved to Rehoboth in 1999 because he wanted to paint and live at the beach.
Tom Poor, the owner of Bin 66 Fine Wines and Spirits in Rehoboth, asked Criss to design
the wine labels for Rehoboth Chardonnay and Rehoboth Red, created for Bin 66. “The swimsuits that the lifeguards wear
seemed like the perfect iconic red beach image,” says Criss. Poor, who is also vice chairman of the Safe Haven board,
said, “We enjoy working with local artists who also share our concern for animal welfare.”
The dog and cat logo T-shirts designed by Criss can be purchased at safehavende.org.
Original oils on canvas and posters by Criss can be viewed and purchased at andrewcriss.com | 
Nassau, DE 19969 
