The Globe Bark Park has come a long way since it was first designed in 2018. Today, the park is a fully functional dog haven complete with
amenities like a leash holder, added shade cloths and dog portraits along the outside fence.
The Dog Park Committee has been hard at work over the last few years raising $6,000 for the dog park, and according to Dr. Thea Wilshire,
the new mural was one of their last big purchases.
“With the mural we put out requests to local artists and got a couple of bids but the one we decided to go with was Patty Sjolin,” an artist from Miami, Az. that specializes in murals. Sjolin presented the committee with a great design at an affordable rate, only $2,000.
The plan was to paint the mural on corrugated metal. Frank Baroldy helped to weld a large frame-work for this metal because of its significant weight; also the Globe Bark Park is subject to high winds from time to time.
“It took months to get all the metal up,” said Wilshire. “When we were finally ready to start painting, Patty Sjolin had been impacted by the floods in Miami and was unable to work on the project.”
So the committee went back to the drawing board and were able to find an artist from Phoenix, Isaac Caruso, to continue the project. “We shared with him Patty’s design and he was able to use elements of her design,” said Wilshire. “He was also able to honor Patty’s price.”
The dogs featured on the mural are all linked to Caruso whether it’s his dog or his sister’s dog. “If you look closely the little chihuahua has a halo over its head,” said Wilshire.
Caruso finished the mural on Thursday, September 16.
The Dog Park Committee is now looking forward to their annual Dogtoberfest event that was just approved by the City of Globe. Because the event is only a month away, the group is looking to start collecting sponsorships. For businesses looking to sponsor the event: Sponsorship choices are Furr-end of the Park ($250-$499), Top Dogs ($500-$749), and Leader of the Pack ($750+). Sponsorships can be funds or in-kind
contributions. All sponsorship funding and entry donations are used for the event and for future park amenities; this year a portion of the proceeds will go to help the High Desert Humane Society.
