The GIVING GALLERY Presents:

Running On heART: 13 Cities in 7 Days!

A cross country journey raising awareness and funds for struggling open art studios in our communities

In order to raise awareness for Open Art Studios and spread the word about their power to bring community members together we have decided to turn a car into a national community art project.

Imagine it!! We will start in Chicago and end in Laguna Beach, CA. Stopping briefly in 13 cities throughout the country to allow thousands of hands to put their artistic print on the car. People coming together and creating together. That's what Open ART studios are all about. Ultimately, the car will be donated to a charity that holds values consistent with the spirit of this project, and the journey will be turned in an inspiring documentary.

How did this come about? Several of us who have been helping support an Open Art Studio in the Uptown area of Chicago recognized the substantial positive impact the studio is having in the community. Every week, it is packed with a diverse group of people joined together by engaging in making art and music with each other and sharing their creative energy. This space has become a comfortable and exciting environment, it is of no cost to participants and open to all members of the community. This Open Art Studio is particularly vital for those marginalized due to mental illness and/or poverty.

Since the Open Art Studio is being utilized to full capacity, we were shocked to recently discover ( 2 weeks ago! ) that it is struggling financially to remain open and operating for the public like many open ART studios are. It is scheduled to close in July of 2009. Upon learning about the closing date, we planned a last minute cross country road trip to spread the word about Open Art Studios in our communities as well as raise funds for this particular studio. We are now determined more than ever to keep this studios doors open and to continue to support such an inspiring place where all can engage in the art making process regardless of physical, mental, or socioeconomic differences.

Starting on Sat. June 6th, 2009 our journey will begin at the Flat Iron building in Wicker Park, Chicago, at 6:00-8:00 p.m. You are invited to join us there or along the way. Our goal is to raise $10,000 in contributions supporting the Open Art Studio by the time we reach Laguna Beach, CA. We hope that you will be able to be a part of this experience with us by donating or by getting involved.

More Info:

http://sarahraskey.foliosnap.com/?goto=events

Watch video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DofRVAwOs8k

Saturday, June 6th -Chicago IL

Location: Flat Iron Arts Building

http://www.theflatironproject.com/

Address: 1579 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Event Time:6:00-8:00pm

Info: Come one come all! Help by donating as little as one dollar and painting/decorating our car with stickers, glitter, buttons, found objects, etc etc. Feel free to bring your friends and enjoy the live music!

*This event will be running concurrent with the Flatiron smART show which will have over 100 artists on hand in the building just waiting for you to check out their art and their studios! Pairing up with ArtWorks Open Studio.

Sunday, June 7th -Saint Louis, MO

Location: Delmar, St. - River Front Music Showcase, Pairing with Turner Center for the Arts

http://microapp.vvmedia.com/stl/musicshowcase/

Address: 6610 Delmar Blvd. St. Louis MO 63130

Event Time: 12:00 -2:00pm

Info: Come one come all! Help by donating as little as one dollar and painting/decorating our car with stickers, glitter, buttons, found objects, etc etc. Feel free to bring your friends and enjoy the live music!

* This event will be running concurrent with the River Front Music Showcase! Pairing up with Turner Center for the Arts.

Sunday, June 7th -Kansas City, MO

Location: Kansas City Power and Lights District-Raglan Road Irish Pub

http://www.raglanroadirishpub.com/

Address: Raglan Road Irish Pub 170 E. 14th St.

Event Time: 7:00-9:00pm

Info: Come one come all! Help by donating as little as one dollar and painting/decorating our car with stickers, glitter, buttons, found objects, etc etc. Feel free to bring your friends and enjoy the live music!

*This event will be running concurrent with the Kansas City District Blues Live Music Event Featuring Trampled Under Foot and Dog House Daddies!

Monday, June 8th -Springfield, MO

Location: Jordan Valley Park

http://www.springfieldmo.gov/jvp/

Event Time: 10:30am-12:30pm

Info: Come one come all! Help by donating as little as one dollar and painting/decorating our car with stickers, glitter, buttons, found objects, etc etc. Feel free to bring your friends and enjoy the live music!

Monday, June 8th -Dallas, TX

Location: Margarita Ranch

http://www.margaritaranch.com/

Address: 2800 Routh St. Ste 165

Event Time: 9:00pm-11:00pm

Info: It is $3 you call it margaritas and there will be a dj. Come one come all! Help by donating as little as one dollar and painting/decorating our car with stickers, glitter, buttons, found

objects, etc etc. Feel free to bring your friends and enjoy the live music!

Tuesday, June 9th -Oklahoma City, OK (TBD)

Location:

Address:

Event Time:

Tuesday, June 9th -Santa Fe, NM (TBD)

Location: The Cow Girl

http://www.cowgirlsantafe.com/

Address: 319 South Guadalupe St.

Event Time: 8:00pm-10:00pm

Info:eam Tuesday @ The Cowgirl with Djs 13 Pieces and Jon Ray (these brothers play multiple genres with smooth, funky grace and they're really brothers). Come one come all! Help by donating as little as one dollar and painting/decorating our car with stickers, glitter, buttons, found

objects, etc etc. Feel free to bring your friends and enjoy the live music!

Wednesday, June 10th- Boulder, CO

Location:"Bands on the Bricks" Featuring Funkiphino

Address: 1300 Block of Pearl

Event Time: 7:00pm-9:00pm

Info: For the past 11 summers, thousands of people head to Downtown Boulder every Wednesday evening to dance, picnic and listen to the best local bands along the Front Range. Come one come all! Help by donating as little as one dollar and painting/decorating our car with stickers, glitter, buttons, found

objects, etc etc. Feel free to bring your friends and enjoy the live music!

Thursday, June 11th-Grand Junction, CO (TBD)

Friday, June 12th-Salt Lake City, UT

Location: Cameron Rafati Record Release Party

Address: Pierpont Place 163 W. Pierpont Ave.

http://www.myspace.com/cameronrafati

Event Time: 6:30pm

Info:Cameron Rafati, Serial Entrepreneur, Commercial Real Estate Broker, Investor, Sundance Film Festival ?Best Score Nominee,? and Women?s and Men?s Dating Coach is a modern day Jack of all Trades. Towering over most crowds at 6?6 this Utah native?s dreams of becoming a failed athlete became a reality during his attendance at USC in Los Angeles when he met up the former members of VERTICES.

Saturday, June 13th-Las Vegas, NV (TBD)

Sunday, June 14th-Los Angeles, CA(TBA)

Sunday, June 14th-Laguna Beach, CA(TBA)