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Lions, tigers and bears? Well, at least bears. Until next week bears and other Alaskan wildlife will be just hanging around – on the walls that is.

The Campus Center Gallery is currently presenting an exhibit titled “Fur, Fin & Feather” featuring pieces of art of the wild variety.

The show, benefiting the UAA Emergency Food Cache, will run through Oct. 27. Judging for the entries was completed on Oct. 9. Sue Zajac won a grand prize of $100 for her painting of a salmon in watercolor marbling.

"Fur, Fin & Feather" at the Campus Center Gallery

Every artist received a prize gallery manager Yulia Kalagaeva said. Tickets to the Fly by Night Club and Subway's Starving Artist Award, which gives the recipient a few free sandwiches, are some of the other prizes.

“It's an excellent show and it's going to be a lot of fun," gallery manager and art major Kallagaeva said.

Pieces in a variety of mediums are entered including quilts, photographs and woodcarvings.

The show is open to all area artists. Of the 31 pieces entered in the show seven were submitted by students. The remaining entries were from alumni and other local artists, Kalagaeva says.

This is the third time for this particular exhibit, but it has been several years since it was last presented. Kalagaeva says the campus art committee remembered the 1997 show that raised about $400 for the Food Cache, so they decided to bring it back.

Gourment (Sea Otter) by Belle Dawson.

Each artist pays $5 or donates three canned food items per entry. The show is free for visitors, but monetary and food donations are welcome.

In fact, they're essential according to the UAA Emergency Food Cache pamphlet distributed by the Student Health Center.

Daryl Young, director of the center, says the Food Cache is totally self-supporting. It receives no funds from the general university budget and is not factored into student fees.

That's how it is now, and that's how it was eight years ago when Young created the Food Cache.

“When I first started it, I was hitting up my friends [for money]. You have to start somewhere,” Young said.

Young says it took nearly four years for the Emergency Food Cache to get rolling, but now about 300 packages of food are distributed to UAA students each year. He says that traditionally the Christmas season and the beginning of semesters, when students are waiting for financial aide checks seem to be when the Food Cache is needed most.

Each package of food contains enough spaghetti, peanut butter and fruits and vegetables for three days. The Food Cache keeps 25 prepared packages on hand at the health center.

You must be a UAA student to be eligible for Food Cache assistance

“If you're hungry, gosh darn-it you're hungry,” Young said.

Show up at the Student Health Center and show your ID, they'll give you food on the spot.

Although other groups on campus, such as the School of Nursing and the University Call Team Officers also hold fundraisers benefiting the Food Cache, Young is happy the art show is back. He says the show has been a big success in past years and sees no reason why this year should be an exception.

“All you have to do is put a can of food in your pocket and go,” Young said. “You feel good about yourself, and you help someone else out in the process.”

For more information on the UAA Emergency Food Cache or other Student Health Center services, call 786-4040, e-mail to anday@uaa.alaska.edu , or stop by the office in BEB, rm 120.