2010 Appeal

It was pouring rain on November 29. We had scheduled the annual envelope stuffing for our AMP appeal and the driveway was hardly visible thanks to the steady downpour and the mud that had surfaced where grass used to be in October. Should we cancel?

No way. Not when the volunteers were coming from the Connecticut General Federation of Women's Clubs. These women are tough. A few successfully fended off the more than enthusiastic greeting from Darla, our daughter, Judy's, pit bull-dalmatian.

Thanks to their resilience and good humor, we finished the mailing in record time. And the response to this mailing is a record as well, best ever appeal for AMP.

 

Newman's Own Foundation $25,000 Grant to AMP

In December, the American Mural Project received a $25,000 contribution from the Newman's Own Foundation. There are many obvious reasons why this is so wonderful, starting with the grant money itself. Beyond that, the donation is a terrific vote of confidence from a foundation that was the first to support the mural project with a matching grant in 2006.

For eleven years, Ellen has been painting the mural primarily with Golden Artist Color paints. This family owned company founded by Mark Golden in New Berlin, New York, has provided the finest custom acrylic paints to artists everywhere since 1980. The Golden colors are exceptional but what makes the company special is the service they give to customers, amateur and professional alike. Mike Townsend, head of Golden's tech support, has rescued Ellen several times when one of her wild mix of ingredients combined with their paints has resulted in something close to catastrophic. And when Ellen doesn't get in the middle the results are spectacular. Ten years ago, Mike and his color specialists created a group of iridescent green colors packaged in small marker bottles with twist tops, making it easy for America's greatest athletes to paint their signatures on a fiber weave surface for our giant sports field.  From Mia Hamm to Joe Montana, every signature is a work of art.

Thank you Golden for every tube of paint we have used on the mural since 1999 and all the support you have given throughout.

Today, Golden has hundreds of custom colors, mediums, and glazes. When asked which colors Ellen would like to receive as a donation, the only honest answer: all of them.

Right about now, Kim Hohfeld and Judy Albright are probably asking how they got themselves into this project. Watches are coming in from all over. The latest delivery from Kim was in a giant grocery bag too heavy to lift. We have not had time to do a count total but, in weight, you have broken the scales.

For those of you who have not yet donated a watch, don't forget to fill out the form so we can properly credit your states, clubs, and, most important, thank you. This is going to be a spectacular piece. And thank you all for spreading the word about AMP across the country. Don't stop now. Go to Facebook and let us know what your clubs are doing on the AMP projects.

Habitat for Humanity donations are coming in, all sizes, all materials

The volunteers who make up the work force for Habitat for Humanity are amazing people. Anyone who has been on a build will confirm this. But creative?

The scraps we've received from Habitat groups continue to raise the bar on creative interpretations of scraps. Everything imaginable on a build has come our way including spackle tubes, garden spades, and mud-soaked blue jeans. And the signatures, notes, and painted pieces are also highly original.

AMP asked everyone to use their imagination and they have done that in spades (terrible pun). Keep these coming!

Junior Advisory Board forming up  

Finally, we are starting to organize our Junior Advisory Board. Although it is in the very early stages, we hope by summer to name a group of Junior AMP Advisors or Advocates who can help us spread the word about the mural project to other young people. Since the project is all about creativity and innovation, we need your young minds and best ideas. Under the umbrella of the AMP Junior Advisors we hope to organize AMP YouTube film crews and blog reporters. If you are interested in being part of this new initiative, get in touch on Facebook or by email. The rule for this board: if this isn't fun, we are not doing it. 

The American Mural Project is a three-dimensional painting so large that a
special building is being created for it. It is a celebration of American ingenuity
and commitment to work. The project seeks to inspire, to invite collaboration,
and to reveal to people of all ages the many contributions they can make to
American culture.  It is intended as a tribute and a challenge.

Board of Directors: Frank Finch, Jim Garfield, Ellen Griesedieck,
Joe Griesedieck, Susan Lane, Thad Meyerriecks, Gayle Moraski, Sam Posey,

Mark Ronaldes, JoAnn Ryan, Rosellen Schnurr, David Stack, John Whitman
Founding Board: Huyler Held, Ivan Kronenfeld, Paul Newman (1925-2008),

Mehmet Oz, Peter Philip, Ileene Smith Sobel, Frank Stella

PO Box 538 · 100 Whiting Street · Winsted, CT 06098 · (860) 379-3006
www.americanmuralproject.org