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Art Unleashed in Downtown Highland Park

Beginning June 28, Downtown Highland Park will celebrate the Dog Days of Summer as it welcomes the “Big Dogs” to its central business district by award-winning, nationally known artist Dale Rogers. Consisting of twenty-two, 8 foot high by 10 foot long cor-ten steel “American Dog” sculptures, this one-of-a-kind traveling art exhibit will make its home in Downtown Highland Park throughout the month of July.

“We are thrilled to welcome artist Dale Roger’s traveling Big Dog Show to Downtown Highland Park this summer,” said Jessica Weglarz, Executive Director of the Downtown Highland Park Alliance. “As a community with a profound history of admiration and love for the arts and with more than half of the households in Highland Park owning dogs, our city is the perfect destination on the North Shore to celebrate this one-of-a-kind outdoor art exhibition.”

North Shore natives and visitors will delight in visiting the “Big Dogs” at numerous locations throughout the Downtown Highland Park area including, Port Clinton Square, Renaissance Place, up and down Central Avenue and in front of City Hall. After exploring the outdoor exhibit of “Man’s Best Friend” be sure to “sit” and “stay” in Downtown Highland Park which offers an unrivaled “boutique” atmosphere that allows you to stroll throughout its shopping district and enjoy more than 130 retail shops, restaurants, salons and spas.

In conjunction with the “Big Dogs” visit, The Puppy Mill Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public and raising awareness about the systematic animal cruelty in puppy mills, will be participating in the numerous special events, fundraisers and doggy socials planned throughout the month of July.

"We are honored to be involved in this exhibit," says Cari Meyers, Founder of The Puppy Mill Project. "Highland Park is a pioneer when it comes to community. In bringing this exhibit to the masses, it raises awareness about the importance of so many causes, with The Puppy Mill Project included. We appreciate the opportunity to be involved in order to educate visitors on humane animal treatment and puppy mill dogs."

From June 28 to July 26, many Downtown Highland Park businesses will offer specials and host dog-centric events in honor of the Big Dogs. Visit: www.downtownhp.com to discover all of the opportunities for fun the Big Dogs have in-store! All events will feature free admission and free parking for visitors.

About

The Downtown Highland Park Alliance is a public-private partnership of the Highland Park CBD Property Owners Association, the City of Highland Park and the Highland Park Chamber of Commerce. The Alliance was founded in 2008 to enhance the economic vitality of Downtown Highland Park. The operations and promotions of the Alliance are funded by a Special Service Area commercial property tax currently authorized through 2013.

Artist Dale Rogers has been working as a full time metal sculptor for over 10 years. His work is originally designed, laser cut, TIG welded and hand finished into large scale 3-dimensional sculptures that combine his love for abstract geometrics with organic lines and a figurative appeal. Because everyone gains from art, Dale wanted to design a large scale exhibit for the public that could tour around the country – The Big Dog Show was successfully born from this dream.

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