Snowdog Art Trails Explained

The Snowdog Art Trails are a series of public art exhibitions of large Snowdog sculptures, organised by Wild In Art from 2016 to 2018.[1] They celebrate the Snowdog from the 2012 short film, The Snowman and the Snowdog, and feature sculptures painted in a wide variety of styles, many of which reflect the area in which the dogs are displayed. In addition to large fibreglass Snowdogs, the exhibitions have also featured smaller Snowpups, decorated by and, after the event, given to local primary schools.

The trails are supported with maps and apps, allowing visitors to keep track of which Snowdogs they've found.[2] [3] For the Ashford trail, visitors were able to enter codes found by each Snowdog into an app, unlocking rewards such as money off vouchers, free pens, and badges.[4] [5]

Aim of the trails

The aim of the trails are to encourage people to explore their local area, spending time in the town or city and perhaps visiting places they wouldn't normally go to. The trails also attract visitors from outside the area, bringing extra money into the local economy. In addition, funds are raised for local hospices by selling merchandise and, at the end of the exhibition, the Snowdogs themselves via auction.

Great North Snowdogs (2016)

Over 50 Snowdogs were created for an art trail which spanned Newcastle and Tyne & Wear. The exhibition ran between 19 September – 20 November 2016 and funds were raised for St Osmond's Hospice.[6] A farewell weekend, with the dogs gathered in one place, was held on 2 December to 4 December, with an auction following on 6 December. The auction raised over £250,000 for the hospice, with two dogs (Disco Dog and Guide Dog) fetching over £9,000 each.[7] This table shows the lots in the post-exhibition auction of the Great North Snowdogs, together with their hammer price and, if known, where they ended up. Details are taken from the live stream of the auction, which is archived on YouTube.[8]

Lot Number Snowdog Name Artist data-sort-type="number" Sale price (GBP) !What happened next?
1 Arthur Jeff Rowland 5200 Sold to a private buyer[9]
2 Rosa Canina Sue Guthrie Rosa 2500  
3 Dog Of The Tyne Jane Headford 4000  
4 Mojo Sumit Sarkar 2300  
5 Luna Geoff Chappell 5100  
6 Sparky David Sith 5200  
7 Es Tu Cosa Tristan Lathey 3500  
8 Patchwork Jill Barklem 3000 Bought by Mini Moos Farm for public display
9 Guide Dog Mike Clay 9000 On public display in the South Shields ferry waiting room[10]
10 Frostbite Charlotte Mitchell 3200 Bought by Mini Moos Farm for public display
11 Pink Is The New Black Lee Stafford 2800  
12 Spocky Dog Hilary Sanderson 3600  
13 Snowline Jim Edwards 5800  
14 Tails Of The Sea Joanna Wishart 3800  
15 Moji (a Snowpup) Edgar Ameti 2500  
16 WOOF-3000 Sophie Green 1900  
17 Chilly Dog Sally Adams 5000  
18 Ziggy Marcus Brown 3800  
19 Day Of The Dog Sophie Green 2000  
20 Fear Of Emptiness Louise Bradley 2500  
21 Snow Angel Of The North Mike Richardson 5000  
22 Springtime Joanna Lumley and Sarah-Jane Richards 4100  
23 Tails Of The North East David Maguire 2500  
24 Addam Upright Time Miness 4000  
25 Rocket Dog Amanda Rabey 3300 On public display at the ticket concourse at the Central Metro station, Newcastle
26 Rosy Posy Sarah Jane Richards 5200  
27 Aero-Dog Deven Bhurke 3400  
28 Psychedelic Snowdog Rebecca Reed 4000  
29 Moondog (a Snowpup) Daniel Stone 3600  
30 Snowdog Down The Rabbit Hole Heather Penten 4000  
31 Hadrian's Hound Catherine J Bell 3000  
32 Graffiti Dog Frank Styles 3000  
33 The Snowdog Anonymous 5400  
34 Mutt Me On The Corner Lindesfarne and Edgar Ameti 4000  
35 Tyne Tail Jack Corinne Lewis-Ward 6500  
36 Houndstooth Damien Jeffery 3400  
37 Wonderhound Illona Clark 4000  
38 Rhino The Rescue Leighton Denny 2200  
39 Decisions Decisions Decisions Julia Roxburgh 3500  
40 Great North Polar Pooch Sandra Jaekel-Bothyart 4000  
41 Dog On The Groyne Jenny Leonard 5500  
42 Hound Dog Lee O'Brien 3200  
43 Essence Of The North Geoff Chappell 2400  
44 Spottydog (a Snowpup) Mike Clay 5000  
45 Gingerbread Dog Sarah-Jane Szikora 5600  
46 Squares Deven Bhurke 3300  
47 Rover Codex Ellie Tarratt 3500  
48 Gizmo Anonymous 4500  
49 Disco Dog Natalie Guy 9200  
50 Hiding Lions Helen Stephens 3000  
51 Patchwork Northumberland Daniel J. Weatheritt 4500  
52 The Dog Father Jenny Leonard 3700  
53 Winter Lily Sarah-Jane Richards 3100  
54 Wor Geordie Newcastle College 4500  
55 Roodle Isy Langhorne 3100  
56 Wild North East Jina Gelder 7000 Returned to its sponsor, St Oswald's Hospice, after a fundraising appeal.[11]
57 Rock Dog (a Snowpup) Sarah-Jane Szikora 3500  
58 Skipper Joanne Wishart 4000  
59 Shaggy Dog Stories Chris Riddell 4200  
60 Dogfish Pam Royle 4600  
61 The Snowbrador Ruby Cooper 3500  
62 Snowberry Simon Tozer 4600  
63 SAFC Spraydog Frank Styles 3700  
64 Newcastle, United, Inspired Temper Newcastle 8600  

Snowdogs by the Sea (2016)

While the Great North Snowdogs trail was underway, a second trail was launched at the other end of England in the south coast resort of Brighton and Hove. As with the northern exhibition, snowdogs were placed around the city and they remained there from 24 September to 27 November 2016. A total of 44 Snowdogs and 22 smaller Snowpups were on display. Over 5,000 visitors attended the farewell weekend (held on 4 and 5 December).[12] An auction was held on 6 December in aid of Martlets Hospice in Hove and this raised £337,000. The highest priced dogs were Max, at £22,000 and Boomer, at £20,000.[13] This table shows the lots in the post-exhibition auction of the Brighton Snowdogs, together with their hammer price and, if known, where they ended up. Details are taken from the Brighton and Hove news website.[14]

Lot Number Snowdog Name Artist data-sort-type="number" Sale price (GBP) !What happened next?
1 Bow Wow Mike Edwards 7500  
2 Rose Deven Bhurke 7500  
3 Blot the Dog IownthisART (Jason McQuillen) 6500  
4 Roodle Isy Langhorne 6000  
5 Koinu Yakuza Soheila Jones 3800  
6 Splashhound Lawrence Art Supplies Creative Team 4500  
7 Pebbles Joanna Martin 5200 Sold to a private buyer[15]
8 Lola Deven Bhurke 5200  
9 Brighton Belle Jenny Leonard 8500  
10 Clifton Chalk Gallery 6000  
11 Brighton Rock (Rocco) Pinky 4200  
12 The Snowbrador Ruby Cooper 5000  
13 Newshound Heidi Compton 5000  
14 Bobby Katherine Griffin 6500  
15 Winter Lily Sarah Jane Richards 4800  
16 Merry – Go – Hound Sean Sims 4200  
17 Mod Dog Steve Mason 9500  
18 Bella Chris Dawson 8500 Purchased by OneFamily Financial Services; on display in their offices.
19 Palace Pup Maria and Patricia Shrigley 5500  
20 Patch – The Unfinished Quilt Judith Berrill 5800  
21 Dudley Louise Dear 4200  
22 Disco Dog Natalie Guy 12000 Bought by Skerritts Chartered Financial Planners
23 Sparky David Sith 8500  
24 Process Pup Josh Ford (The Osh) 6000 Purchased via crowdfunding; on public display at Hanover Centre Garden
25 Dave The Dog Totally Dynamic 7500 Sold to the Hove Place Pub, on display in their garden
26 Bone China Gemma Compton 8500 Bought by Bright Blue Wealth Coastal, on display in their reception area
27 Seagulls of the South Kathleen Smith 6500  
28 Southdowns Dog Kellie Miller 6000  
29 Legal Beagle Kip Devore McCullough 5500  
30 Frank Jane Anderson 8000  
31 Marty David Halliwell 5200  
32 Gizmo Anonymous 9500  
33 GRRRace Mik Richardson 13000  
34 Smart Vibes Pinky 4500  
35 Under the Sea Lynne Bannon 6500  
36 Neon Camo Snowdog of Hope Mike Edwards 8000  
37 Smiley Sophy Henn 15000  
38 Snowman's Nightmare Pure Evil 8000  
39 Flower Kai & Sunny 11000  
40 Max Sarah Arnett 22000  
41 Crush Puppy Louise Dear 5500  
42 Horatio – The Bathing Beauty Judith Berrill 8000  
43 Boomer RYCA 20000  
44 The Snowdog Anonymous 9000  

Snowdogs Tails in Wales (2017)

The Snowdogs returned for a second year, this time in Cardiff, Wales. A total of 43 Snowdogs were placed around the Welsh capital during the autumn of 2017, with the trail running from 16 September to 26 November. Members of the public were able to view them all together at the farewell weekend of 8 December to 10 December.[16] The dogs were auctioned off on 12 December, with proceeds going to the Tŷ Hafan hospice. A total of £121,000 was raised for the charity, with the highest-earning dogs being Enfys, at £6,100 and Snow Tiger, at £5,100.[17] This table shows the lots in the post-exhibition auction of the Welsh Snowdogs, together with their hammer price and, if known, where they ended up. Details are taken from the Snowdogs Tails in Wales Facebook page and their main website.[18]

Lot Number Snowdog Name Artist data-sort-type="number" Sale price (GBP) !What happened next?
1 Dog Bot Mark Chilcott 2300  
2 Hus-Quay Rachel Blackwell 2000  
3 Starry Night Benjamin Fowler and Heather Penten 2400  
4 Snow Business Nat Clements 2100  
5 Life's a Beach Emma Everitt 4100  
6 Heatwave Andy O'Rourke 3100  
7 Pop Pup Damien Jeffries 2900  
8 Maple Paul Williams 1900  
9 Smileosaurus (a Snowpup)   2500  
10 Chocolate Sundae Simon Tozer 2400  
11 Hygge Deven Bhurke 2100  
12 Enfys Rhiannon Roberts 6100  
13 Lunar Rover Mik Richardson 2300  
14 Butterfly Coat Sarah Cowan 1600  
15 Roodle Izy Langhorne 1800  
16 OMG Dog Phil Morgan 2100  
17 Snow Dragon Dorian Spencer Davies 4100  
18 Baffi Judith Berrill 3000  
19 Cedric Pete Fowler 3200  
20 Classic Snowdog Anonymous 2000  
21 Candy Stripes Lowri Davies 2700  
22 Blackberry Simon Tozer 2400  
23 Rosy Posy Sarah Jane Richards 2100  
24 Oscar Maria Shrigley 2600  
25 Me Is Who I Am Gemma Fala 2100  
26 Dog With A Bone Gemma Williams 2100  
27 RESOLVED George O’Dowd and Phil Morgan 1500  
28 Local Lad Dale Edna Evans 4200  
29 Plentyn Vikki Cornish 4000  
30 That Snow Tiger Emily Ketteringham 5100  
31 Sun Dog Seth Oliver 2500  
32 Sparky David Sith 4100  
33 Big Dog Little Dogs Jim Medway 1700  
34 Happy Taffy Traci Moss 1300  
35 Honolulu Julien MacDonald 2700  
36 Summer Meadow Alison Underwood 4000  
37 McCoo Steven Brown 2700  
38 Anthem Dale Edna Evans 3100  
39 Castles And Dragons Rachel Blackwell 4400  
40 The Snowbrador Ruby Cooper 2400  
41 Gizmo Anonymous 2600  
42 Dino Dog Jenny Leonard 2300  
43 Sheep Dog   2100  
44 Apple Sourz   2600  

Snowdogs Discover Ashford (2018)

The fourth exhibition saw 35 Snowdogs and 19 Snowpups[19] laid out on a 4-mile trail through and around Ashford, Kent.[20] The exhibition ran from 12 September – 18 November 2018, with a farewell weekend taking place on 1 and 2 December. An auction of the Snowdogs and two Snowpups took place on 3 December, raising £142,000 for Pilgrims Hospices. The highest-selling Snowdogs were Doodle Dog, at £15,000 and Bagdogg, at £9,000.[21] [22]

The 35 Snowdogs include designs based on, amongst others, ash trees, from which Ashford derives its name; a Kentish oast house, the Ashford coat of arms, the infinity symbol (invented by an Ashfordian), and a dog decorated by Mr Doodle.[23] [24]

A protester caused a local uproar when he launched a successful challenge to the location of Infinity Dog, which was placed in the churchyard of St Mary's Church. The complainant alleged that the dog was not in keeping with the surroundings and, after receiving the complaint, the Registrar of the Ecclesiastical Court ruled the dog be removed.[25] It was relocated nearby, but a successful counter-campaign by the Rev John MacKenzie of the town parish overturned the decision. However, there wasn't enough time to restore the Snowdog to the church as the decision came too close to the end of the trail.[26]

This table shows the lots in the post-exhibition auction of the Ashford Snowdogs, together with their hammer price and, if known, where they ended up. Details are taken from the post-auction catalogue.[27]

Lot Number Snowdog Name Artist data-sort-type="number" Sale price (GBP) !What happened next?
1 Sakura Sian Storey 2300  
2 Sparky David Sith 3100  
3 Give A Dog A Bone Oliver Winconek 2000  
4 My Very Best Jumper Steffany Malone 2400 Bought by the Picturehouse Cinema, Ashford, for public display[28]
5 Gizmo Anonymous 3300 Sold to a private buyer[29]
6 2 Tone Ska Dog John Sims 5200 Sold to a private buyer[30]
7 Topuppy Gregory Daines 1600 Sold to a private buyer
8 Socks Victoria Robbins 2500 Sold to the County Square shopping centre, Ashford, for public display
9 Pawberry Leah Pendleton 2900 Bought by its sponsor, Jenner Group[31]
10 Harey Hound Traci Moss 2000 Sold to Ashford Borough Council, for public display
11 Pow-wow Jenny Leonard 2700  
12 Zeus Emma Dove 6100 Sold to a private buyer[32]
13 Lest We Forget The War Dogs Lois Cordelia 2600 The buyer donated the Snowdog to Ashford Borough Council, for public display
14 Camo King Kathryn Jordan 3000 Sold to its sponsors, Hodson Developments, and displayed at the Chilmington estate, Ashford[33]
15 Dotty Sophie Green 6000 Donated to Ashford Borough Council by the buyer, for public display
16 Chester David Hover 2600 Sold to Charles Mac mortgage brokers, loaned to the Wyvern School[34]
17 Harry Kanine Fiona Taylor 6200 The Snowdog was donated by its buyer to Ashford Borough Council, for public display
18 Stripes Deven Bhurke 7000 Sold to its sponsor, Quinn Estates[35]
19 Infinity Dog Jessica Holly Goodard 3000 Bought by Quinn Estates and donated to the John Wallis Academy
20 Winter Lily Sarah Jane Richards 2800  
21 Pastel Harlequin Catherine Digman 2600  
22 Doodle Dog Mr Doodle 15000 Sold to its sponsor, Motorline
23 Autumnal Tumble Sarah Underwood 2600 Sold to a private buyer and renamed to "Autumn"
24 Patch Phillippa Goodard 2300 Sold to a private buyer
25 Bark Kent Victoria Robbins 2400  
26 The Snowbrador Ruby Cooper 5200 Sold to Quinn Estates and given an indefinite loan to the Ashford Visitor Information Centre
27 Wild Flower Meadow Deborah Woodward 5000 Sold to Hodson Developments, its sponsor. Displayed for a time at the Chilmington estate in Ashford.[36]
28 Bagdogg Peter and Emily Fermin 9000 Sold to a private buyer[37]
29 Made In Ash-Hound Danielle Williamson 2800 Sold to Ashford Borough Council, for public display
30 Goldie Lois Cordelia 3200 Sold to a private buyer
31 Oasty Deven Bhurke 2700  
32 Noble Ash Emma Dove 5500 Sold to the same buyer as Bagdogg
33 Parklife Kathleen Smith 3600 Sold to the same buyer as Topuppy; loaned to Pilgrims Hospices for public display
34 Vincent Van Pooch Beverley Fisher 3100 Bought by Ashford Council for public display
35 Classic Anonymous 2600  
36 Snowy (a Snowpup) Kaya Cook and Robyn Bailey 2100 On display at the Singleton Environment Centre in Ashford[38]
37 Spotty (a Snowpup) Kaya Cook and Robyn Bailey 2000 Sold to its sponsor, Motorline

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Snowdog Art Trails - Find a Snowdog Art Trail near you : Snowdog Art Trails. 25 November 2018.
  2. Web site: SnowdogsAsh2018_Map_Final. 1 January 2019.
  3. Web site: Snowdogs Discover Ashford. 1 January 2019.
  4. Web site: Celebrate Ashford's best bits to support local hospice care.. 1 January 2019.
  5. visitashtent . 1060857168658866176 . 9 November 2018 . The last day to collect your @AshfordSnowdogs rewards from us is Saturday 17th November. . AshfordSnowdogs.
  6. Web site: Great North Snowdogs - Snowdog Art Trails : Snowdog Art Trails. 25 November 2018.
  7. Web site: Great North Snowdogs raise over £250,000 for St Oswald's Children's Hospice. 25 November 2018.
  8. Web site: Great North Snowdogs Grand Auction LIVE. 1 January 2019.
  9. Web site: Great North Snowdogs raise over £250,000 for St Oswald's Children's Hospice. 1 January 2019.
  10. Web site: Snowdogs make a return to welcome Metro and Shields Ferry passengers. 1 January 2019.
  11. Web site: Snowdog success across the North East. 12 December 2016. 4 June 2020. England's North East.
  12. Web site: Next autumn a pack of Snowdog sculptures will descend on the street and parks of Brighton & Hove for the biggest public art event the city has ever seen!. 25 November 2018.
  13. Web site: Snowdogs auction raises £337k for Martlets Hospice. 25 November 2018.
  14. Web site: Snowdogs auction raises £337k for Martlets Hospice. 31 December 2018.
  15. Web site: Snowdogs – where are they now?. 1 January 2019.
  16. Web site: Snowdogs Tails in Wales. 25 November 2018.
  17. Web site: The staggering amounts some of the snowdogs have been auctioned off for. 25 November 2018.
  18. Web site: Snowdogs Auction Lot. 30 December 2018.
  19. Web site: TSnowdogsAsh2018_Map_Final.pdf. 25 November 2018.
  20. Web site: Snowdogs Discover Ashford a magical arts trail for Ashford, Kent. 25 November 2018.
  21. Web site: Snowdogs Discover Ashford: Gala Auction - Pilgrims Hospices. 25 November 2018.
  22. Web site: Snowdogs charity auction at Ashford International Hotel. 6 December 2018.
  23. Web site: Snowdog Auction Catalog. 25 November 2018.
  24. Web site: Ashford: Mr Doodle adds design to Snowdogs Discover Ashford exhibition. 25 November 2018.
  25. Web site: Ashford: Snowdog removed from St Mary's Church after Chris Cooper complaint. 25 November 2018.
  26. Web site: Ashford: Infinity Snowdog could be returned to St Mary's Church. 25 November 2018.
  27. Web site: Snowdog Auction Catalog. 12 December 2018.
  28. Web site: NINE Snowdogs return to Ashford. 13 December 2018.
  29. Web site: Plan to build Lord of the Rings-inspired hobbit house in Hastingleigh outside Ashford. 10 February 2019.
  30. AshfordSnowdogs . 1071056905672581121 . 7 December 2018 . Kate from Pilgrims Hospice has been busy delivering some of the Snowdogs to their fur-ever homes today. SnowdogArtTrail.
  31. jennergroup . 1069685111120105472 . 3 December 2018 . Pawberry is coming home!!! . AshfordSnowdogs.
  32. RetronUK . 1072474828492468226 . 11 December 2018 . ...and that something is Zeus; wonderful, dear old Zeus. . PilgrimsHospice.
  33. KBScot36 . 1256625780106375170 . 2 May 2020 . look who I spotted in Ashford on route shopping . AshfordSnowdogs.
  34. Wyvern_School . 1088055698875920385 . 23 January 2019 . Look who's come to stay for a few weeks.
  35. Web site: Snowdogs auction raises £150,000. 13 December 2018.
  36. AshfordSnowdogs . 1176787581666824192 . 25 September 2019 . Look who's the first new resident of Chilmington Ashford.
  37. Web site: "2 are with my parents!" . 21 January 2021.
  38. AshfordSnowdogs . 1100436062940344321 . 26 February 2019 . Ta da! Our Snowpup 'Snowy' is the latest Snowdog sculpture to find itself back in public view! . ashford_college.

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