A Town Called Peculiar

My longtime, online artist friend Kristin Smith is helping plan an event for the Downtown Peculiar Arts and Culture District (Peculiar is a town in Missouri). Kristin explains that they are a "non-profit, grass roots group working toward the revitalization of Peculiar as interactive arts and cultural center."

Their upcoming train car themed event is "The Frisco Depot" which features a dinner and an art auction. (Kristin designed the poster you see above). She explains that they have an "odd auction as the interested bidders just put money (anywhere from a quarter up to three dollars depending upon the value of the piece) into a bowl on their table, and then hold up their paddles to indicate that they in on the bid. Then numbers are drawn like a lottery...and whoever's number comes up wins the art." Most people bid on every piece.

Here is the story about how the town was named from wikipedia:
Peculiar received its name in 1868 when the first postmaster, Edgar Thomson, had his first choice rejected because it already existed. Several other choices were also rejected. The story goes that the annoyed Thomson wrote to the Postmaster General himself to complain saying, among other things, "We don't care what name you give us so long as it is sort of 'peculiar'," (with "peculiar" in quotation marks). So the town became known as Peculiar.

The town motto is "Where the 'odds' are with you". And a historical plaque in the town reads: "In 1861-1864 while bloody battles raged throughout the southern states nothing happened here." (I thought that was pretty amusing)

Here is my entry for their art auction. I have dubbed this piece "Funkytown."

Donation for a Good Cause - NOVA

I was recently contacted by an attorney in Frankfort that specializes in issues surrounding violence against women, primarily domestic violence and sexual assault. She had picked up my business card at a horse show about a year ago and asked for a silent auction donation for an upcoming NOVA conference. The conference will be held in Louisville, Kentucky September 28-October 2.

Attorney Dina Barlett explains that NOVA is the National Organization for Victim Assistance, a private, non-profit organization of victim and witness assistance programs. This organization is dedicated to advocating on behalf of crime victims nationwide. Advocates play a vital role in helping women who are trying to rebuild their lives after leaving an abusive relationship or surviving a sexual assault. One of NOVAʼs primary roles is to train victim advocates so that they can assist these women in a meaningful way.
To learn more about this worthy cause, please visit the NOVA website at www.trynova.org.


Here is a picture of my donation - a light blue Chalcedony bracelet and earrings with azore blue Swarovski crystal and sterling silver. I hope they have a great conference and silent auction!