Volunteer for Bad Art 2026 🎨
Join Friends of Oakland Animal Services' 2026 pet-portrait fundraiser as a volunteer artist. This year's event runs August 24 – September 7, 2026.
What volunteering as an artist involves
You don't need prior experience—just a desire to get creative. Using a reference photo provided by the donor, you'll create a custom piece of art for their pet. We call it “Bad Art” because we can never predict what an artist will create; that's up to you!
Choose to work on digital portrait requests, physical ones, or both. Artists can participate from anywhere. You decide how many portraits to take on, and you'll have 10 days to complete each assignment from the date you accept it. If you need a break, you can pause new assignments at any time from your artist dashboard. Every drawing helps raise funds for Oakland's animals.
We will be assigning portraits throughout the campaign so the exact timing will vary depending on our total number of requests. You may receive assignments up until mid-September.
Minimum age to participate: 10.
Artwork Types:
Digital artwork: Create your artwork using any medium or approach you like, then submit a digital version (e.g. a clear photo or scan of your artwork) through the artist dashboard. That's it!
Physical artwork: Create a flat, two-dimensional piece of artwork no larger than 8.5x11 inches. Submit a digital version (e.g. a clear photo or scan of your artwork) through the artist dashboard, AND drop off the original at Oakland Animal Services, or mail it to us (Oakland, CA) at your own expense. You will receive further instructions for drop-off/mailing after your digital artwork is submitted.