Culture Shock

Transform your mangy pooch into an international doggy superstar! ABQdog.com announces its fourth annual Dogs for All Seasons photo contest. Even if there isn't much chance your hound will ever become an anorexic, globe-trotting, caviar-chowing, canine supermodel, at least the contest is for a good cause. It costs a mere $5 to enter with every penny of the proceeds benefiting local animal rescue groups. Deadline is Aug. 31. Winners will be announced at Three Dog Bakery on Sept. 26. Details about rules and prizes can be found at www.abqdog.com/contest.shtml.

Smile! Say horse!

Several people have been telling me to check out the new Working Classroom mural going up at Second and Gold. As luck would have it, "A Little Color Never Hurts" will have its official public dedication—with food, refreshments and music—from noon to 2 p.m. this Friday, Aug. 13. The mural is a collaborative effort created by muralist Antonio Lente and seven Working Classroom student artists. The design is a commentary on the award-winning non-profit's 15-year history, during which Working Classroom has done more than almost any other organization to cultivate artistically talented kids in our community. For more information, call 242-9267.

You should roll on up to the City Different starting next week to check out the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum's Sixth Annual Contemporary Native American Art Show and Sale: A Show of Power. The shindig opens Wednesday, Aug. 18, with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m. that will include a fashion show, refreshments and music by Matthew André. If you want to crash the opening, you'll have to fork out $25 per person, or $50 for VIP seats.

If you're a natural born skimper, you can check out the show and sale any time through Aug. 29. With almost 100 works of contemporary art created by 50 painters, fashion designers, photographers, sculptors, jewelers, ceramists and fiber artists, A Show of Power should bowl us all over. The annual event is also a fundraiser for the IAIA, the country's premier higher education institution focusing on the study, creation and preservation of Native American arts and culture. For details, call the institute at (505) 424-2368.