Que the drum again. We have a new total. The Memorial Fund now stands at $1610. Maybe, If we all think positive, we can break the $2000 barrier.

I'm now off work until after the first of the year. I hope to have time to read the previously mentioned "how to" book and talk to a few people to get their views on things. This project is going to see the light of day in 2007.

Peace and Good Cheers,
Marty

Today I took the first steps into putting some life into this project. I started reading a book called Starting & Building a Nonprofit-A Practical Guide by NOLO publishing. All the reviews that I have read seem to agree that it is one of the best. It came with a CD-ROM that is supposed to have all the necessary forms for forming a nonprofit entity. I would like to get this project up and running by early 2007. So I now have plenty of homework to do. It's a good thing I bought new glasses.

Good Reading and Good Cheers,
Marty

Que the drum roll, and the new total for the Memorial Fund is $1585. I have asked Stephen Krebbs to be on The Arts Care, Board of Directors when the time comes. He said he wants to know if there will be country club privileges involved. I thought I might also see if "Saint Shelly" might want to be involved. I need to get the ball rolling on this. I still would love to have more input from people who both know and loved Christa. Do you think she would approve?

Peace and Good Cheers,
Marty

Now taking nominations of people to serve on the board of directors for "The Arts Care, Inc." I need three brave souls in total. If you feel like this could be your calling, or want to volunteer some other "lucky" person, add your nominees' name in the comments section. I have to have a board of directors before I can proceed with forming a non-profit organization. Let the nominating begin.

Peace and Good Cheers,
Marty

P.S. I also need a Secretary and a Treasurer. Isn't this fun!

There is a new total for the Memorial Fund for the Arts. Drum roll please. The new total is.....wait for it.....wait for it.....the new total is $1435. Thanks to all that have contributed. We will do great things together.

Peace and Good Cheers,
Marty

I emailed David White yesterday. David manages The Missouri Theatre in Columbia. I shared with him my "Night Without Cancer"idea from "Plan B" and he sent me the following email in response:

Marty,

Whatever I can do to encourage this ministry - let me know. I can offer
complimentary pairs of tickets to subscription concerts throughout the
summer - that would be 9 concerts - I would just need to know how many in
advance so we can hold them for the patron - and if a wheelchair seat was
needed. I'm honored that you thought of me and the Missouri Theatre. I
look forward to helping you in your endeavors to offer comfort for those in
need.

Cheers,

David

The more I turn Plan B over and over in my head the more I like it. I like the fact that it would be an ongoing project. Any thoughts on the Plan B project are appreciated.

Peace and Good Cheers,
Marty

Introducing "Plan B" for the Memorial Fund. This is not to say that Plan A is off the table. I just want to float this idea by everyone to see what people think.

I am thinking about starting a non-profit organization called The Arts Care. This organization will two ways in which it attempts to make the live of cancer patients better.

First, I would like to give free art lessons, probably painting, to cancer patients. It would allow patients something to look forward to each week and it would give them an outlet for the roller coaster of emotions occur during the treatment process.

Second, I want to give cancer patients "A Night Out Without Cancer". My plan is to give patients tickets to some of the many shows that go on year round. My hope is to acquire these tickets either as donations or by buying them at a "wholesale" price.

Last spring Christa and I took the the kids to see Godspell at Mapelwood Barn Theater. It was a perfect spring evening and Christa really enjoyed the night out. I think she actually got to relax and not worry about all that was going on in her life, at least for an hour or two.

So this is Plan B in a nut shell. I would really like to hear what the people who knew and loved Christa think of this idea. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Peace and Good Cheers,
Marty

Drum roll please. The new total for the Memorial Fund is $1220.00. After Elizabeth's story ran in the Tulsa Tribune I received two checks from people who didn't know Christa, but were moved by the article and decided to contribute.

One person shared with me that she had lost her daughter to breast cancer. Her daughter was 42 and she left two daughters behind. I know that her loss is unmeasurable and my hope is that each day is a little easier to get through.

I'm going to be unveiling "Plan B" soon with the hope of getting some feedback, both positive and negative. I think that it is something that Christa would approve of, I hope everyone else will also. Please check back soon.

Peace and Good Cheers,
Marty

Plan A for the Christa Ballew-Matthews Memorial Fund for the Arts.

The building to the left is Lee Expressive Arts School. Both Eilish and Elora attend school here. They just celebrated their centennial a couple of years back.

The students at Lee have designed and made tile murals to be installed in the white areas that you see above the five large windows shown. The next photo shows a similar project that was done by Lee students and installed at the Columbia Public Library. There is also a PDF file that gives a detail look of the installation at the library.

From what I have heard there are several reasons that the school board has not allowed the project at the school to be completed, the largest of which is lack of funds for the installation. I hope that by showing that the funds are now available, the other reasons will fall by the wayside.

Christa and I often talked about how this project needed to be completed. It seems a more than fitting memorial for an artist like Christa.

You can read more about Lee Expressive Arts School and their integrated arts curriculum by following the link.

With Fingers Crossed and Good Cheer,
Marty

Let me give you the background information about my wife and why we have developed the Christa Ballew-Matthews Memorial Fund For The Arts.

My wife passed away on September 18, 2006 from complications due to Inflammatory Breast Cancer. She was 36 years old. She left behind myself and three children. She is missed greatly.

As an artist, Christa worked in many different mediums. At Stanford University, between her junior and senior years of high school, she studied painting. She preferred using watercolor although she had also ventured into acrylics and oils. Photography was her other two dimensional outlet.

In three dimensional work she enjoyed pottery and sculpting. Her last big adventure was sculpting bronzes. She had also hoped someday to get a commission for a large instillation. Her sculpting instructor, James Calvin, at The University of Missouri has offered to help me finish several more bronzes of hers including a bust that she did of herself.

Christa lived and breathed art. When our first child was ready to enter kindergarten she had her transferred to Lee Expressive Arts School. Lee is a kindergarten through fifth grade magnet school specializing in teaching students using an arts based curriculum. She believed that it took an understanding and appreciation of art to make the core subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic come alive. All three of our children will attend Lee because the teachers and staff hold the Arts in such high esteem.

One of the memorial projects I have in mind would allow the school to finish a large installation, created by the children, that Columbia School Board has not been able to finance. It is our hope to complete this project and install a plaque in her memory.

More details will be forthcoming including about this Memorial Project and a new total for the Memorial Fund For The Arts. Thanks for taking the time to read about my wife and this project.

Peace and Good Cheers,
Marty

Welcome to the blogsite for The Christa Ballew-Matthews Memorial Fund for the Arts. I will be using this blog to post updates on fund raising as well as proposed uses for those funds. Thank you to all who have contributed.