© Mark W. Pettigrew
Recently, I was talking with my mother on the phone, and I told her about my plans to sell art prints, concert tickets and other items, for the purpose of helping to raise funds for the victims and survivors of the devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri. I said that I would very likely distribute those funds by sending them to the Red Cross or maybe to World Vision, along with instructions to the effect that the funds should be used specifically to help the folks in Joplin.
Mother suggested that I should strongly consider sending the funds to the folks at Convoy of Hope. I was somewhat less familiar with that organization, but after researching that option, I decided that that would be a very good idea.
Convoy of Hope seems to be one of the primary relief organizations endorsed by the Assemblies of God church. (Hillcrest Chapel, the church I currently attend here in Bellingham, is a member of that denomination, which has played a major role in my life on many occasions over the years, ever since I became a Christian in 1969.)
What makes Convoy of Hope a particularly good choice for this particular project is the fact that the headquarters for Convoy of Hope are located in Springfield, MO, about 70 miles east of Joplin. Logistically, Convoy of Hope is in a very good location from which to manage relief efforts related to Joplin and its needs. That isn't to disparage other relief organizations by any means, but it is to suggest that it just makes sense to keep things close to Joplin, as much as possible.
Springfield is also the location of the headquarters for the Assemblies of God church, and that city is also where I spent the majority of my years as a child. My mother still lives there (which no doubt helps to explain why she's so familiar with Convoy of Hope).
I still remember, as a boy, visiting the birthplace of George Washington Carver, in Neosho, about 22 miles south of Joplin.
For the above reasons, and for the reason that web searches have suggested to me that Convoy of Hope is a very reputable charity (with a four star rating from CharityNavigator.com), I've decided that most of the funds raised by the Joplin Relief Project (which is a subproject of the Artistic Rescue Project, which in turn is a subproject of the Christian Arts Initiative) will be distributed by sending the funds raised by fundraisers conducted by ArtisticRescue.com to Convoy of Hope.
Here's information (found today on the website for the Assemblies of God Church) about Convoy of Hope's involvement specifically with relief efforts in Joplin (and elsewhere):
Monday, June 27, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
My New Email Address
For years, my primary e-mail address has been mark_w_pettigrew[AT]hotmail.com. It still is. (One obviously must use the @ sign in place of the bracketed word in the preceding address.)
However, the same company which sold me the web domain names www.ArtisticRescue.info and www.ArtisticRescue.com also sold me a package consisting of up to 5 e-mail addresses which could be connected with any current domain name purchased from that company. So I added the e-mail address mark[AT]ArtisticRescue.com just now. Since it was just added today, it will probably be a day or so before it's fully activated, I wouldn't advise sending any messages to that address just yet. In fact, if you're reading this blog post, I'd prefer for you to continue to send messages to the aforementioned Hotmail address, or to my Gmail address, mwp1212[AT]gmail.com. The main reason I added the newer address is so that I could use it in ads (and on printed materials) specifically pertaining to the Artistic Rescue Project. Why? It looks a bit more professional, for one thing.
However, the same company which sold me the web domain names www.ArtisticRescue.info and www.ArtisticRescue.com also sold me a package consisting of up to 5 e-mail addresses which could be connected with any current domain name purchased from that company. So I added the e-mail address mark[AT]ArtisticRescue.com just now. Since it was just added today, it will probably be a day or so before it's fully activated, I wouldn't advise sending any messages to that address just yet. In fact, if you're reading this blog post, I'd prefer for you to continue to send messages to the aforementioned Hotmail address, or to my Gmail address, mwp1212[AT]gmail.com. The main reason I added the newer address is so that I could use it in ads (and on printed materials) specifically pertaining to the Artistic Rescue Project. Why? It looks a bit more professional, for one thing.
Formatting Issues Here At Blogger.com
© Mark W. Pettigrew
I've been blogging here at Blogger.com for quite a few years, and for the most part, I've been pleased with that service. But one thing that annoys me a bit is that formatting one's text can be somewhat unpredictable. One may review one's blog post in Compose mode, and one may see that every paragraph has a blank line between it and the following paragraph (the way I generally prefer, for ease of readability). One may hit publish, only to discover that some paragraphs have lines of space between them and the following paragraph, and others do not. Really annoying, and a good way to create published pages which look a bit less than professional.
It may be that always remembering to hit Preview and check things out before actually publishing one's posts is the best way to avoid the problem. I'm definitely going to try that.
Meanwhile, know that I plan to create "reader friendly" versions (in PDF format) of each and every one of these blog posts. So even if you get less-than-perfect results when viewing these posts in your browser, you'll hopefully have access to good printer-friendly versions of the posts for printing purposes.
I've been blogging here at Blogger.com for quite a few years, and for the most part, I've been pleased with that service. But one thing that annoys me a bit is that formatting one's text can be somewhat unpredictable. One may review one's blog post in Compose mode, and one may see that every paragraph has a blank line between it and the following paragraph (the way I generally prefer, for ease of readability). One may hit publish, only to discover that some paragraphs have lines of space between them and the following paragraph, and others do not. Really annoying, and a good way to create published pages which look a bit less than professional.
It may be that always remembering to hit Preview and check things out before actually publishing one's posts is the best way to avoid the problem. I'm definitely going to try that.
Meanwhile, know that I plan to create "reader friendly" versions (in PDF format) of each and every one of these blog posts. So even if you get less-than-perfect results when viewing these posts in your browser, you'll hopefully have access to good printer-friendly versions of the posts for printing purposes.
On Demand Printing and The Artistic Rescue Project
© Mark W. Pettigrew
When launching any new business or nonprofit endeavor, one has to give careful thought to the issues of logistics and implementation. Sometimes, financial limitations can hinder even the best ideas. But it's been said that "where there's a will there's a way", and that's particularly true in this age of computers and the Internet.
It used to be that professional visual artists needed to have a fair amount of money just to pay for storage of the works of art which they had created. Either they had to have enough money to buy or lease large and spacious homes or studios, or they had to pay for storage units (preferably with climate control) in which to keep their unsold paintings or prints or drawings.
If they wanted to market their art via the many indoor and outdoor art fairs and festivals throughout the nation, they also had to deal with expenses associated with transporting and displaying their art to and at such fairs and festivals. Such expenses sometimes included large vans or trailers in which to transport their art to such events. Also canopies to set up on the sidewalks while selling their art.
That's still true with regard to people who work with traditional art mediums such as oil paint and canvas. But digital art offers a much smarter option, because physical prints don't have to be created until after they've been bought and paid for, at which point they can be immediately and directly shipped to the folks who have bought them, even if one buyer lives in one part of the world and another buyer lives thousands of miles away from the first buyer. Instead of sitting beneath a canopy on a hot day, interacting with potential customers, artists can be actively engaged in the creation of new works of art. It's arguable that expanding the amount of time artists have for making actual art (and not marketing it) potentially expands the overall amount of high quality in the world.
When launching any new business or nonprofit endeavor, one has to give careful thought to the issues of logistics and implementation. Sometimes, financial limitations can hinder even the best ideas. But it's been said that "where there's a will there's a way", and that's particularly true in this age of computers and the Internet.
It used to be that professional visual artists needed to have a fair amount of money just to pay for storage of the works of art which they had created. Either they had to have enough money to buy or lease large and spacious homes or studios, or they had to pay for storage units (preferably with climate control) in which to keep their unsold paintings or prints or drawings.
If they wanted to market their art via the many indoor and outdoor art fairs and festivals throughout the nation, they also had to deal with expenses associated with transporting and displaying their art to and at such fairs and festivals. Such expenses sometimes included large vans or trailers in which to transport their art to such events. Also canopies to set up on the sidewalks while selling their art.
That's still true with regard to people who work with traditional art mediums such as oil paint and canvas. But digital art offers a much smarter option, because physical prints don't have to be created until after they've been bought and paid for, at which point they can be immediately and directly shipped to the folks who have bought them, even if one buyer lives in one part of the world and another buyer lives thousands of miles away from the first buyer. Instead of sitting beneath a canopy on a hot day, interacting with potential customers, artists can be actively engaged in the creation of new works of art. It's arguable that expanding the amount of time artists have for making actual art (and not marketing it) potentially expands the overall amount of high quality in the world.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Christian Arts Initiative and the Artistic Rescue Project
© Mark W. Pettigrew
I've been a committed Christian since 1969, and even though there have been some rough spots along the way, I think I can honestly say that I've sought to serve God with my whole heart.
For roughly 6 to 7 years, I've been obsessively working on a project I call the Christian Arts Initiative. Now I'm starting a new project which I'm calling the Artistic Rescue Project.
Some folks might conclude that I'm one of those flaky individuals who just can't finish anything he starts. Au contraire!
The Christian Arts Initiative is as important to me as it ever was. Maybe even more so, because the more I think about it, the more I understand how many ways the arts relate to the broader mission of the Christian church.
As I see it, the Artistic Rescue Project should be seen as a subproject of the Christian Arts Initiative, which could be defined as an ambitious plan to more effectively use the arts, in every feasible way, to promote the values of the kingdom of God. That must by necessity include acts of charity and mercy which benefit hurting people in practical ways. And that often requires funding.
In all candor, I don't have much in the way of material resources at the present time. But what I do have is a creative mind and a willingness to tenaciously search for answers and solutions, and to implement those solutions if I am capable of doing so. With the help of other brothers and sisters in Christ, I believe that I am capable of doing so.
Unfortunately, that help cannot be taken for granted.
Too often, we Christians talk out of both sides of our mouths. We talk (usually from the pulpit) about how God owns "the cattle on a thousand hills" (meaning that God's resources are unlimited), and we talk about how "all things are possible" with God, but when we are privately presented with evidence of unmet needs in the human community, we often resort to defeatist language which suggests that both our faith and our imaginations are lacking. When there is a chasm between rhetoric and reality, it harms our "witness" in front of a watching world. It's a question of integrity or the lack thereof.
The best I can do is the best I can do. But I'm just one man, and a pretty weak and limited man at that, so I need your help, not only with regard to my own temporal needs, but also with regard to my fervent desire to leave a legacy of love and hope.
I've been a committed Christian since 1969, and even though there have been some rough spots along the way, I think I can honestly say that I've sought to serve God with my whole heart.
For roughly 6 to 7 years, I've been obsessively working on a project I call the Christian Arts Initiative. Now I'm starting a new project which I'm calling the Artistic Rescue Project.
Some folks might conclude that I'm one of those flaky individuals who just can't finish anything he starts. Au contraire!
The Christian Arts Initiative is as important to me as it ever was. Maybe even more so, because the more I think about it, the more I understand how many ways the arts relate to the broader mission of the Christian church.
As I see it, the Artistic Rescue Project should be seen as a subproject of the Christian Arts Initiative, which could be defined as an ambitious plan to more effectively use the arts, in every feasible way, to promote the values of the kingdom of God. That must by necessity include acts of charity and mercy which benefit hurting people in practical ways. And that often requires funding.
In all candor, I don't have much in the way of material resources at the present time. But what I do have is a creative mind and a willingness to tenaciously search for answers and solutions, and to implement those solutions if I am capable of doing so. With the help of other brothers and sisters in Christ, I believe that I am capable of doing so.
Unfortunately, that help cannot be taken for granted.
Too often, we Christians talk out of both sides of our mouths. We talk (usually from the pulpit) about how God owns "the cattle on a thousand hills" (meaning that God's resources are unlimited), and we talk about how "all things are possible" with God, but when we are privately presented with evidence of unmet needs in the human community, we often resort to defeatist language which suggests that both our faith and our imaginations are lacking. When there is a chasm between rhetoric and reality, it harms our "witness" in front of a watching world. It's a question of integrity or the lack thereof.
The best I can do is the best I can do. But I'm just one man, and a pretty weak and limited man at that, so I need your help, not only with regard to my own temporal needs, but also with regard to my fervent desire to leave a legacy of love and hope.
A New QR Code for This Blog
© Mark W. Pettigrew
During the year of 2011, I started seeing QR codes (two dimensional bar codes) printed in numerous materials distributed throughout Bellingham. They'd actually been created in 1994 in Japan, according to this Wikipedia article, but it seems that 2011 has been the year when they've finally started to take off in the United States, probably because the new "smart phones" can be turned into QR code readers if they have integral cameras, just by downloading the appropriate apps.
When I first saw these codes turning up everywhere, I must admit that I didn't quite get it. I was personally in the habit of carrying index cards and pens everywhere, on account of the fact that I'm kind of obsessive when it comes to collecting useful information, so when I saw web addresses which interested me, I just wrote them down.
But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me to put such codes on one's signs and printed materials and maybe even on one's clothes. For most people, manually writing web addresses is just too much hassle. Even for me, having to write them down can sometimes be a pain, if I'm in a place where there's no available writing surface (like sitting in a bus or car while commuting to work). Sometimes I find myself repeating a web address over and over to myself in an effort to memorize it long enough to retain the information until I'm in a position to write it down.
A graphic QR code can easily substitute for one of those long URL addresses common with subdomains (such as one sees with most blogs, unless the bloggers have gone to the trouble of registering their own "regular" domain names and then forwarding them to their blogs) and with web pages buried deep within the structure of the web sites containing those pages. Would you rather write down www.cameras.com/SLR/Canon/SLR/EOS7D.html (as one fictitious example of the type of long name which is typical of some web pages), or would you rather just aim your camera phone at the QR code and capture that long address by taking a photo? That's what they call a "no brainer". I don't yet own a smart phone, but I can definitely see the appeal of doing one's research in this manner.
During the year of 2011, I started seeing QR codes (two dimensional bar codes) printed in numerous materials distributed throughout Bellingham. They'd actually been created in 1994 in Japan, according to this Wikipedia article, but it seems that 2011 has been the year when they've finally started to take off in the United States, probably because the new "smart phones" can be turned into QR code readers if they have integral cameras, just by downloading the appropriate apps.
When I first saw these codes turning up everywhere, I must admit that I didn't quite get it. I was personally in the habit of carrying index cards and pens everywhere, on account of the fact that I'm kind of obsessive when it comes to collecting useful information, so when I saw web addresses which interested me, I just wrote them down.
But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me to put such codes on one's signs and printed materials and maybe even on one's clothes. For most people, manually writing web addresses is just too much hassle. Even for me, having to write them down can sometimes be a pain, if I'm in a place where there's no available writing surface (like sitting in a bus or car while commuting to work). Sometimes I find myself repeating a web address over and over to myself in an effort to memorize it long enough to retain the information until I'm in a position to write it down.
A graphic QR code can easily substitute for one of those long URL addresses common with subdomains (such as one sees with most blogs, unless the bloggers have gone to the trouble of registering their own "regular" domain names and then forwarding them to their blogs) and with web pages buried deep within the structure of the web sites containing those pages. Would you rather write down www.cameras.com/SLR/Canon/SLR/EOS7D.html (as one fictitious example of the type of long name which is typical of some web pages), or would you rather just aim your camera phone at the QR code and capture that long address by taking a photo? That's what they call a "no brainer". I don't yet own a smart phone, but I can definitely see the appeal of doing one's research in this manner.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Mission Statement
© Mark W. Pettigrew
The mission of the Artistic Rescue Project is to use the arts as a means of raising funds for individuals and communities in need of financial assistance, usually by means of donations to reputable existing organizations such as World Vision, Convoy of Hope and the American Red Cross, but also in some cases by means of donations directly to the people who are in need of help (lest some people in need should fall through the cracks).
The implementation of that vision will be shaped and guided as much as possible by strict adherence to well-recognized standards of professional ethics and Christian morality.
The mission of the Artistic Rescue Project is to use the arts as a means of raising funds for individuals and communities in need of financial assistance, usually by means of donations to reputable existing organizations such as World Vision, Convoy of Hope and the American Red Cross, but also in some cases by means of donations directly to the people who are in need of help (lest some people in need should fall through the cracks).
The implementation of that vision will be shaped and guided as much as possible by strict adherence to well-recognized standards of professional ethics and Christian morality.
Regarding Nonprofit Status
© Mark W. Pettigrew
When I first moved to Bellingham, WA, I was made aware of Allied Arts of Whatcom County (http://www.alliedarts.org/). Some of the good things about the organization became quickly apparent to me when I visited their very nice art gallery, and their very nice seasonal art exhibit during the Christmas season.
However, I later learned even more about Allied Arts, and what I learned caused me to think that it might be very helpful for me to associate my own art-related organization with theirs, in the early stages of development at any rate.
I learned that they offered the option of becoming an "umbrella organization", operating under their supervision, in order to receive the benefits of becoming a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, even prior to going through all of the hassles which are usually necessary in order to get 501(c)3 status for one's own organization. (Apparently, Allied Arts isn't the only organization which offers this option to other organizations, but it was the first time I'd been made aware of that option.)
When I first moved to Bellingham, WA, I was made aware of Allied Arts of Whatcom County (http://www.alliedarts.org/). Some of the good things about the organization became quickly apparent to me when I visited their very nice art gallery, and their very nice seasonal art exhibit during the Christmas season.
However, I later learned even more about Allied Arts, and what I learned caused me to think that it might be very helpful for me to associate my own art-related organization with theirs, in the early stages of development at any rate.
I learned that they offered the option of becoming an "umbrella organization", operating under their supervision, in order to receive the benefits of becoming a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, even prior to going through all of the hassles which are usually necessary in order to get 501(c)3 status for one's own organization. (Apparently, Allied Arts isn't the only organization which offers this option to other organizations, but it was the first time I'd been made aware of that option.)
Multiple Authors Are Welcome On This Blog
© Mark W. Pettigrew
It's been said that "no man is an island", and certainly, that's the case with regard to a lot of nonprofit endeavors, including this one.
While setting up this blog, I was reminded that Blogger.com allows one to set up one's blog so that up to 100 authorized people can contribute blog posts. That may be very beneficial to this fund raising project, once I've added board members and/or staff members to assist me in running various aspects of the project.
As the administrator of this blog, I will of course need to approve the contents of such blog posts before they are posted, and I will need the ability to delete inappropriate posts and to suspend the blogging privileges of contributing authors who insist on posting unapproved materials.
NOTE: If this is the first time you've visited this blog, I strongly suggest that you visit the first article posted on the site in order to get a better idea of what the blog is all about!
It's been said that "no man is an island", and certainly, that's the case with regard to a lot of nonprofit endeavors, including this one.
While setting up this blog, I was reminded that Blogger.com allows one to set up one's blog so that up to 100 authorized people can contribute blog posts. That may be very beneficial to this fund raising project, once I've added board members and/or staff members to assist me in running various aspects of the project.
As the administrator of this blog, I will of course need to approve the contents of such blog posts before they are posted, and I will need the ability to delete inappropriate posts and to suspend the blogging privileges of contributing authors who insist on posting unapproved materials.
NOTE: If this is the first time you've visited this blog, I strongly suggest that you visit the first article posted on the site in order to get a better idea of what the blog is all about!
Welcome and Introduction
© Mark W. Pettigrew
Welcome to the Artistic Rescue blog.
The premise of the Artistic Rescue Project is that the arts often offer excellent opportunities to raise funds for nonprofit charities, churches and other organizations which are regularly or frequently engaged in charitable acts of mercy.
Many organizations use the arts for such purposes already, but that's usually done on an ad hoc (case by case) basis, and the people who manage those fund raisers are often people whose knowledge of the arts leaves something to be desired.
As a person with a lifelong involvement in various artistic disciplines, and as someone with access to numerous other artists who might be similarly inclined to contribute a percentage of the proceeds of the sales of their creative works to organizations engaged in such acts of mercy if they could receive reciprocal benefits in the form of an expansion of the market for their products, I believe that I am well qualified to launch the Artistic Rescue Project.
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