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This renovation included sound, lighting, and audio/visual features that helped bring reality to owner Jennifer Grayston's dream of a haven, rehab, and adoption center for rescue cats.
The Challenge
To provide more than a safe, humane environment, Jen knew what else her kitties needed. She and business partner Jesse Fenwick had a bold plan, and they brought Annidale in to help heal wounded kitty souls with light and sound. During the three years from concept to the grand opening of this cage-free cat rescue facility, nearly every member of Annidale's crew met with Jen and Jesse. All of us either have a cat, know someone who does, and care deeply about animals and their welfare. We signed up and gave the "all-in" for this unique and surprising project.
The Decision
To provide even more than a safe, humane environment, Jen knew what else her kitties needed, along with food and shelter. Jen's training as an occupational therapist helped her understand that to help nurture peace and recovery, calming sounds and lighting would help heal the wounded kitty soul. Jen and Jesse went further and provided space, time, and technological flexibility for prospective adoptive kitty parents to visit and find their own "forever kitty."
The Choices
Annidale selected from professional sound equipment designed specifically to benefit commercial installation sound systems and utilize Dante technology to accommodate a wide range of environments. Interior and exterior pro-audio equipment and accessories combined specialties from Yamaha, JBL, Sennheiser, Rapco, Crown, and Shure.
Professional lighting was chosen from brands with capabilities to provide time-sensitive environmental lighting for the interior cage-free kitty area, live stream events both indoors and outdoors, and outdoor production design stage lighting. Annidale selected from Elation and Chauvet, brands uniquely suited for Jen and Jesse's requirements.
Annidale rounded out the overall plan with audio/visual equipment from Yamaha, Optoma, Shure, and RapcoHorizon to meet current needs and position the rehab center to expand its capabilities.
Everything had to work together to provide system flexibility to easily and remotely control the separately zoned guest lounge, free-range kitty area, and outdoor space. To provide further around-the-clock accessibility and optimize protection, Annidale turned to the Furman F1500-UPS with its unparalleled battery backup technology for audio, video, and control systems.
The guest lounge
The guest lounge features a high-tech corner dominated by an Optoma 65" Creative Touch interactive flat panel. It mirrors Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, or Chrome for total remote or password-protected panel touch control. When interior decor is complete, recessed shelving will secure all control equipment. The guest lounge will be casual and comfy and appear very unbusinesslike.
The kitty lounge
The free-range kitty area is more than cage-free. Jen and Jesse brought in bold art, painted the walls kitty-friendly colors, and left plenty of floor space for kitty and people activities!
SIXPAR Elation LED lighting provided color options, and paired with Chauvet's NET-XII merger, makes twenty-four-hour adjustment capabilities easy (and complex requirements possible!). When Jesse's research revealed that UV-LED lights could kill the coronavirus, he said he considered it an addition to his arsenal to keep everyone safer.
The kitty lounge is a studio for activities such as children's art projects and yoga classes. It's also the place for scheduled meditative time with kitties who will appreciate it as much as humans! To make it easier to live stream yoga or art classes while interacting with kitties or perform on stage, Shure's SLXD wireless mic system multi-tasks indoors as well as outside. Strategic equipment choices such as the Shure system are just part of the audio/visual and lighting capabilities included in the remodel. Early planning and equipment choices were critical to allow superior live streaming of events, classes, and stage performance.
The outdoor space and stage
Jen and Jesse are very aware that kitty rescue, rehab, and adoptions are causes to be approached from different directions. Their direction is toward the light of acknowledgment and action to help people come together to solve problems. As they offer the kitty's sanctuary and ask for donations, they felt they should, in turn, have opportunities for people.
The stage is set. Literally. The truss frame has already held JBL SRX835 mains hung in an array configuration. The Optoma laser projector and lens displayed an exciting trial run, and a gallery of lights is available to highlight a local group or, without doubt, the national name. Jesse and Jen are ready to meet complicated fly riders of national, regional, and local bands.
The Wrap
Jen's Kitty Rehab is committed to Fort Smith cat rescue, rehab, and adoption. It is also committed to being a good citizen and neighbor. Just the other day, the owner of a neighboring business walked in and greeted Jesse, "I'm just here for my meditation time with your kitties. I need it."
ANNIDALE is proud to be part of this dream for a better world. There's more to be told before this story is complete as Jen's Kitty Rehab plans to make more opportunities available to Fort Smith, Arkansas! All for the love of a kitty.
Check out EntertainmentFortSmith's magazine (and be sure to pick up your copy locally!)
Find out more about the MEOW MURAL and JK Burchett's art. Bold and beautiful!
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