ASHEVILLE, NC – Did you know that pigs prepare for the future, remember specific episodes from their past, are whizzes at mazes, and can play video games better than chimpanzees? These are just a few of the things that Farm Sanctuary, America’s leading farm animal protection organization, wants North Carolinians to know about the 9 million pigs with whom they share their state. On August 4 and 5, to kick off their new Meet Your Neighborscampaign, the national nonprofit will team up with local Asheville artists to paint #ThePigPicture in their state LIVE at LEAF Downtown in Asheville’s Pack Square.

Artists — Lena Greenstone, Jenny Joleen, Abbi Kay, Anissa Metheny, and Joseph Pearson — who were selected by Farm Sanctuary through an open call to artists for design submissions, will transform life-sized fiberglass pig statues into vibrant pieces of art as advocacy that will stand in front of participating business storefronts, including Bean Vegan Cuisine, The Block Off Biltmore, Plant, Firestorm Books, Sanctuary Brewing Company, and VeganAirBnB.com. Inspired by the message of the “Meet the Neighbors” campaign, students at Roots + Wings School of Art and Design will also paint a pig as a lead in to the festivities around the launch.

“We see each pig as someone, not something, and we want people to rethink their relationship with these neighbors,” says Farm Sanctuary President and Co-founder Gene Baur, who TIME magazine calls “the conscience of the food movement” and a member of Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul 100 dream team of “100 awakened leaders who are using their voices and talent to elevate humanity.” “North Carolina is home to millions of pigs, but because these animals are crowded in factory farms and rarely seen by the public, people don’t realize that they are as cognitively and emotionally complex as the dogs and cats we live with. By putting pigs on ‘parade’ in Asheville, and recognizing the city’s many vibrant vegan-friendly businesses, we hope to change hearts and minds about these incredible animals.”

The pigs will be painted live on August 4 and 5 at LEAF Downtown in Asheville’s Pack Square, and will be on display throughout the city.

Update: Farm Sanctuary received front-page coverage of #ThePigPicture in Citizen-Times.

Founded in 1986, Farm Sanctuary works to change how our society views and treats farm animals through rescue, education and advocacy. The organization provides lifelong care for animals rescued from abuse at sanctuary locations in New York and California; promotes compassionate vegan living; and advocates legal and policy reforms. To learn more about Farm Sanctuary, visit farmsanctuary.org.