L.A. (Laurie to me) is a fairly new friend, but one of those people with whom I had an immediately click. You know, the kind that you meet and say, "Why, yes, we are from the same tribe."
Laurie is an author. She had this massive historical fiction book bouncing around in her head a few years ago, so she just sat herself down and wrote it! Now she's working on her second novel -- all from an auspicious little work station at her local Starbucks (Hilariously, she brings her own can of WD40 and does constant maintenance on the squeaky front door. She's a big hit with the day manager.)
Laurie's husband is the executive director of International Arts Movement. She helps him out so much! Seriously, it's like, a second job for her.
Here's a blip from IAM's website:
IAM is a cultural movement dedicated to inspiring all people to engage their culture to create a more good and beautiful world. As a non-profit 501(c)(3) IAM presents lectures, performances, exhibitions, screenings, projects, and workshops. Our programming and resources equip the creative community to generate good, true, and beautiful cultural artifacts: sign-posts pointing toward the “world that ought to be.” Through understanding the culture that is and looking toward what could be, we hope to rehumanize our world.
The world is not as it ought to be. We long for meaningful existence and involvement in our culture - to be part of a story greater than ourselves. Often our reality is a broken and fragmented story in which dignity and value are stripped from humanity. Art and creativity, as universal languages, can begin to address this dehumanization. The world needs artists and visionaries to lead the way in seeing beyond the trivial to the transcendent, bringing synthesis to fragmentation, and hope to despair.
Isn't that....awesome?
CAN YOU GET ON BOARD WITH THAT?
Um...yeah!
I went to IAM's Holiday Mixer and Small Works auction last week:
The way this thing worked was like this: you bought a raffle ticket and then at random times during the mixer, the MC got on the mic and picked a ticket out of the basket at random. The winner got to go up to the wall and select a piece to take home. Of course, the fun part was wishing and hoping that your name would get called before someone else picked the piece the YOU had your eye on all night.
This is the piece that I chose:
It's called "Nubian Princess in Pink" by Diana Contreras
It's done in oil paints and I love, love, love the colors and texture.
(There was one other piece that I liked that wasn't selected. Laurie said all the unselected paintings would go up on the website for purchase: Laurie! I've been stalking the IAM website all week -- whither the rest of the paintings? There's still one more on my mind!)
Laurie is super dynamic and has A LOT going on.
Here's how you can support Laurie, incredible Light extraordinaire --
Easy Like Sunday Morning:
1. Like LA Chandlar on facebook and/or follow her on Twitter
2. Check out her cool website (and blog!)
3. Like IAM on facebook and/or follow them on Twitter
Get By With A Little Help From My Friends:
4. Make a tax-deductible donation to International Arts Movement
The Greatest Love of All:
3. Commit to buying from small businesses for arts and crafts (well, anything, really!) Blog about artists in your community. Please support all artists within your sphere of influence!
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Advent of Awesome Hall of Fame
December 5 - Join the Voices
December 6 - Over The Fence and World Vision
December 7 - International Arts Movement
