Cathy Minerva Calls for Art & talks about The Somer Thompson Foundation

Stormy Sea by Cathy Minerva

Hello All. My name is Cathy Minerva and I am an encaustic artist in GA.  Next month is the 1st Annual Purple Sunshine Motorcycle Ride and Somer Concert in Grove Springs, Florida.   I am honored be in charge of this event's silent auction. The ride, concert, and auction will be held the last weekend of April, 2011.

The event proceeds will go to the Somer Thompson Foundation. I encourage you to check out their website: http://www.somerthompsonfoundation.org. From their site - "The Somer Thompson Foundation was formed in March 2010 after the abduction and murder of 7 year old Somer Thompson. The Foundation is dedicated to providing education, resources and help to victims of crimes against children...."  (Click here for the Foundation's complete mission statement)

This project is near and dear to all of our hearts as no family should every have to bear the tragedy of what happened to Somer.   I have been working with Bobby Ingram, lead guitarist for the band, Molly Hatchet for some time to make this happen.  He is also the board president and faithful lobbyer for stronger laws regarding child safety laws and stricter reporting of sex offenders.

 
We are accepting any type of art or handmade item to be auctioned at this event.  This is a family/child friendly event!  If you or someone you know would like to participate, please email me at minervasmadness@gmail.com  Donations need to be to me by April 20th.  Artisans are encouraged to put contact info on their donation.  

I am pleased to announce that my artisan and handmade website, EarthGaia, will be opening a perpetual shop called Artisans and Musicians for JUSTICE with proceeds going to the foundation. Any items not sold at the event will be placed in the perpetual shop for sale.

All donations are tax deductible through the 501(c)3 foundation laws.  If you wish a tax receipt, please include a brief note with your name, address and fair market value
 

Event flyers can be seen at http://www.bikerslove2ride4kids.com and http://www.earthgaia.com. EarthGaia  will be posting a donation button on the front page very soon for monetary donations.  No item or dollar donation is every too small to make a difference! You can also find event updates on the Bikefest Florida 2011 Facebook Page

Let's show people how big the heart of the art community always is with our support of this very worthy cause.  Thank you!

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Hello all, Stacey here. When Cathy first mentioned this silent auction for such a worthy cause, I knew I needed to help spread the word. Please pass this information on to anyone who might be interested in donating to or attending this weekend-long event! 

Cathy & I have talked about featuring her art on for this blog. We'll pull something together soon. In the meantime, here are a few more thoughts she had to share:

How did you get involved with the Somer Thompson foundation? 
 
CM: Actually, I had read a post on FaceBook on the Molly Hatchet page that they were doing a benefit concert for Somer in 2009.  Knowing the guys, I knew it would be a worthwhile cause so I checked it out. Later, I had the idea then to open a perpetual shop where all proceeds went directly to the STF via paypal.  I sent a message to Bobby,  and we started the plan from there.  I invited them for dinner out here but time constraints were too tight for them when they were going to be close to us, so we burned up the phone lines for quite a while making plans and throwing out ideas.  Molly Hatchet released their newest cd with a tribute song to Somer.  It is a wonderful song guaranteed to bring out the kleenex.  You can hear it on the STF website.

How did you meet Bobby Ingram? 

CM: I met Bobby and the Molly Hatchet band members on our first Simple Man Cruise in 2009.  Then renewed the friendship, especially with Phil McCormack, lead singer on the Simple Man Cruise,  Jan. 2010.  He called us after the cruise and said to be sure to come to any Hatchet concert around us and let them know we were going to be there.  So, when Hatchet came close to us in Oct., 2010, we went, visited with the band and had a blast.  

I then threw out the idea of EarthGaia doing a perpetual shop for the Somer Thompson Foundation since I knew Bobby could help get that approved.  He is the board president.  He was intrigued and asked me to do a proposal/business plan and he would present it to the board.  My heart just went out to the cause thinking of all the families who have had this type of unspeakable crime committed against them.

And speaking of cruises, Molly Hatchet will be on the Rock Legends Cruise this December with an unbelievable lineup.  Should be a rockin' good time! 

Music had a strong influence on your art. Could you tell us a bit about that?

CM: Music is most definitely my muse.  I almost always have the cd player on in the studio when I am working and most of the time there is music playing in our home.  One of the joys of working from home is you get to play your music when you want!  I thoroughly enjoy seeing album cover art, too.  That is also inspiring to me.  I can definitely tell what type of music I was listening to according to the feel of my work.  Thank goodness I have lots of variety!
 

Thanks for stopping by, Cathy, with the Call To Artists and information about The Somer Thompson Foundation and BikeFest Florida 2011. I look forward to taking with you soon about your encaustic artwork and EarthGaia website.

And thanks to any of you who have taken the time to visit with us today. Please spread the word about the call for art and associated events. If you would like to donate handmade items +/or artwork please contact Cathy at minervasmadness@gmail.com.