Student Artists Create Moving Portraits of Rescued Farm Animals Living at Farm Sanctuary

Student-made portrait of Jay, a black-and-white steer with a large white spot down his face, laying in long green grass

Student Artists Create Moving Portraits of Rescued Farm Animals Living at Farm Sanctuary

Education is vital to Farm Sanctuary’s work to change how farm animals are seen and treated.

One of our many creative Humane Education initiatives is Animals & Art: The Story Behind a Portrait, a chance for children to learn the stories of our rescued residents and tell them through artwork.

Through this moving program available to elementary, middle, and high school students, we offer artists the chance to create original portraits that depict a farm animal of their choosing as an individual. The beautiful artwork created by these young, compassionate minds shows these animals in a way that many people of all ages are not used to seeing them: as someone, not something.

I love this program because it allows students to connect with the amazing animals at our sanctuary and promotes the message that they can make a difference through creative expression.

Ardyn Cieslak, Humane Education Manager

Below are a few inspiring portraits recently created by Animals & Art students in a Portland, Oregon, middle school class:

A student-made portrait of Lola pig standing on brown dirt in front of a background of green bushes and a gray sky

“I chose Lola the pig from Farm Sanctuary because Lola looked so happy and friendly. The part of Lola’s story that I found the most interesting is that of the teen who saved her from getting turned into bacon. I want viewers to know that Lola is living a happy, free life. In the drawing, I made Lola smile and play in the mud.” – Caris

A student-made portrait of black-and-white Stanton steer, who has a white heart on his head, laying in green grass and brown dirt under a blue sky with white clouds

“I picked Stanton the cow from Farm Sanctuary because I saw Stanton had a heart on his head. I was shocked when I found out Stanton lived in filth and mud. Stanton was the only one to survive out of nine cows, and even his parents died due to neglect. I wanted viewers to see that Stanton’s personality is nice, kind, and loving.” – Heidi

A student-created portrait of Sophie sheep standing on green grass with her front legs in casts under a blue sky with white clouds

“I chose to do my project on Sophie the sheep from Farm Sanctuary because she is fluffy and kind. Also, I have never drawn a sheep. I found her story concerning because she has to walk with two casts. I want people to know that all animals need to be treated with love and respect. I chose to show Sophie with fluffy details and a field of flowers because she has a joyful personality.” – grade 7 student

Student-made portrait of Stanton steer, black and white with a white heart on his head, with a black background behind a green tree and grass

“I chose Stanton the cow from Farm Sanctuary, because I like his heart. The part of this animal’s story I found most interesting was he was found in mud and hay and was the only one who survived. I want viewers to know he has a heart shape on his head. I showed my animal’s personality by emphasizing the heart on his forehead.” – Peter

Student-made portrait of Monet duck, white with a yellow beak and feet and his wings spread wide, standing on green grass under a blue sky with large white clouds

“I chose Monet the duck from Farm Sanctuary because ducks are my favorite animal. I want viewers to know his story of how they found him locked in a small cage. He was being force-fed to make him fat for people to eat his liver. He was never able to spread his wings. That is why I chose to draw him with his wings spread, and it looks like he wants to fly. In my drawing, I tried to make it look like he was smiling.” – Winston

Student-made portrait of black-and-white Stanton steer with a white heart on his head and standing in front of a blue and white background with a large white heart

“I chose a cow named Stanton from Farm Sanctuary because he had a cool symbol on his forehead. I want people to know that he almost died by drowning in mud, and I thought he was going to die, but he got saved. I drew Stanton in the clouds and had a heart cloud to represent his heart on his forehead.” – Khoa

Student-made portrait of Benedit, a black goat with large white spots on his head and chest and two horns, in front of a background of sky and dirt

“I chose Benedict the goat from Farm Sanctuary. I chose Benedict because I thought the name was cool. I showed the details by zooming in on his face.” – Dex

Student-made portrait of Glen goat, brown and whitewith multi-colored horns on his head, standing on green grass with a gray sky background and white trees

“My animal is Glen the goat, and he’s from Farm Sanctuary. The thing I like most about Glen the goat is his horns, and they caught my eye when I was looking for an animal to choose. Farm Sanctuary found Glen in some type of park, and as you may or may not know, a park is not a good place for a goat, so they took him in. They realized he didn’t like being cooped up, and he ended up escaping. I want people to know that he probably likes being free and probably has a playful personality. Thankfully, the employees in Farm Sanctuary got him back by using bananas, and he is now with the other goats.” – Rosie

Student-made portrait of Jay, a black-and-white steer with a large white spot down his face, laying in long green grass

 “I chose Jay the cow from Farm Sanctuary. I chose him by doing eeny, meeny, miny, mo between Jay and Stanton. What I want people to know about his story is that he was on a truck going to the slaughterhouse, and it crashed. He was the only survivor and was chased by the cops for 12 hours. His personality is very lazy now that he can live a lazy life on the farm.” – Jaren

Our curricula also inspire students to learn about rescued animals beyond Farm Sanctuary, such as Waffles horse.

Student-made portrait of Waffles, a brown horse with a white spot on his forehead, holding a light blue blanket in his mouth, standing on green grass under a light blue sky with white clouds

“I chose a horse named Waffles from Farm and Ranch Sanctuary. I love horses, and he caught my eye. He is really sweet and kind. When he was just a foal, he had a crooked little face. His owners watched him hobbling with weakness in his back legs, and he went to the sanctuary to recover. He is full of kindness and has the best baby face. He has really kind eyes, and I tried to focus on those in my work to show his personality. He is very playful, so I put him with a blanket.” – Madi

More information about our Humane Education programs can be found here.

We are deeply moved by these beautiful portraits that show the personalities of farm animals we know and love — and we hope they help you see them for who they are, too. Want to get to know them even better? Visit Farm Sanctuary in New York or California for a guided tour!

It is only through the support of Farm Sanctuary donors that we are able to meet the needs of students across the United States and worldwide as we work to create a kinder future for animals, people, and the planet.

Special thanks to Agnes Gund for her transformative support of our Humane Education program at Farm Sanctuary.

 

Get Involved

Farm Sanctuary Humane Education Manager Ardyn Cieslak kneels in the grass and smiles at Ash, a white sheep with curled horns

Ash sheep and Ardyn Cieslak

Farm Sanctuary’s Humane Education work, spearheaded by Ardyn Cieslak, has significantly expanded as we reach more students worldwide. In 2023, our educational materials, including downloadable curricula like Animals & Art, were accessed by three times the number of students in the previous year. 

This year, we have launched a virtual sanctuary tour for children – plus an exciting new partnership with the Girl Scouts of America with sanctuary field trips and presentations designed for their “Animal Helpers” and “Voice for Animals” badges.

Be part of supporting the next generation of sanctuary and compassion. Please consider a gift to Farm Sanctuary today to support all of our ongoing work in rescue, education, and advocacy.

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