This January, Gallery5 proudly presents a playful and heartwarming exhibition celebrating our feline friends. Inspired by the beloved “Find Francine” campaign, this show highlights the cats who accompany us through the coldest months—keeping us warm, lifting our spirits, and serving as unexpected muses in our everyday lives. Featuring works from local artists who draw inspiration from the quirks, comforts, and companionship of their furry counterparts, the exhibition invites visitors to honor the joy, mystery, and charm that cats bring into our world.

CATtitude: Observations of the Feline Form and Cat Nature opens as part of Richmond’s First Fridays Art Walk on Friday, January 2nd from 5–11PM at Gallery5. This exhibition features work by Dana Frostick, Chris Semtner, and Donna Frostick, all celebrating the expressive charm and enigmatic nature of our feline companions.

The opening reception will also include live music from cat-inspired local bands beginning at 6:30PM — full lineup coming soon!

Following in the paw prints of thousands of years of art history, “CATtitude” presents the work of three Richmond artists who each strive to capture the essence of the cat. During a bonfire where a giant effigy of Bast was burned, Dana Frostick was marked as a servant of the goddess. Her obsession with cats has recently infiltrated her abstract paintings with narratives of her kitty friends’ interactions. Raised in the woods by feral cats, Chris Semtner makes paintings with the help of his feline family. Chris says, “Everything I know I learned from [them].” His mysterious, otherworldly paintings frequently feature cats as their subject. Donna Frostick considers the cat the most beautiful animal on the planet and has incorporated the cat form into her art for many years. Her work in this show is from a series she created for daily drawing challenges.