April 19, 2011
Hello Friends!
I have been working hard on my “Art and Soul Tour 2011”. I’ve been busy planning shows, having meetings with great new charities and projects that I’ve been working on across the country. I’ve also been working on the idea to shoot a documentary while I travel this summer the Project is called Art Expert: Everyone is an expert when it comes to art.
I am attaching the treatment and would love for you to have a look. I have been thinking about this idea for years; my history and passion for art and traveling keep bringing me back to this idea. This summer is the perfect time for me to do this project! I have the perfect traveling buddy, Mickell Smith, who has knowledge of the film industry. I have abandoned my fears of creating such a project and replaced those fears with the confidence and good humor of my own personal history of art. Creating it, creating spaces for others to create it and selling it.
So, I have come up with a budget of $28,000 for this film. The budget covers gas leaving Utah and traveling South then East, then back West and on up the West Coast. This covers the filming in 23 different cities, film equipment, lodging and food.
Never having raised money for a project like this has been a little intimidating to me until the past few weeks. Last week, when I was with my cousin and my step mom, I was reminded of my past art shows and that I have found the encouragement, support and interest in my artwork before. That’s when I thought of this website, Kickstarter, where projects like mine are funded all the time. Feeling less intimidated, I then came up with the idea that it is not impossible for me to do this myself. I, like the artists on Kickstarter, would love to give out art goodies for any donations made to this project and I am attaching the goodie list! You can donate as little as $25 to as much as you would like … and lucky for you I work in many different mediums. Each donation will be honored with a generous piece, or several pieces of art relating to this project depending on how much you would like to donate. This project is like a month long virtual art show. My fund raising cut off date is May 20th, this is 3 weeks before my first show in Sedona AZ . If you are interested in being a part of this project I will just need a return e-mail with the dollar amount you would like to donate or a phone call if you want to talk about it further. I will not need the donation from you until after May 20th. If I am not close to my goal by that time then I will have to make some changes, like cutting out some locations, not eating, sleeping in parking lots and then seeing if I can make it work. On the 20th, if I am close to my goal, I will send out a letter regarding how the trip is shaping up and the different payment options.
If you would like to make a business donation I will create for you some amazing business art, link your business to my website as a sponsor and maybe even paint your name on my car, or tattoo it on my arm … But that will cost you!
All in all, this project will be educational, provide incredible market research for the art world and good humor for all!
If you are not interested in this project, but you know someone that might be, please pass it on. You just never know until you try!
Lot’s of LOVE! Ashley