we did it!

Wow! Our January 14 & 15 gallery show was a huge success and it could not have been accomplished without so much support from friends and family.

Between sales from the show, sales after the show AND direct donations to my Endowment Fund, we raised over $24,000!

Wow and Wow. I am truly humbled, overwhelmed, yet so very excited. Together we are helping people who need supportive care from a devastating cancer diagnosis.

It’s taken me almost a month to follow up with all this good news as I had another chemo infusion right after the show. I’m hoping to squeeze out a few more months (maybe more!) of life but every infusion is hard to recover from.

Yet I feel so lucky that a wide ranging community of people from all parts of my life came to the show: neighbors, friends from junior high and high school, my favorite neighborhood dry cleaner, my City of Hope doctors, in-laws, my family, friends of my family, longtime friends from my kids’ schools, teachers from my kids’ school, friends from my work at the Outlook Newspaper, friends of friends, new friends, young friends, and older friends!

I’ve been through a lot of difficult treatments which have resulted in lasting physical effects these past 5 years; yet I consider myself so fortunate. I don’t need money for childcare, groceries, rent, gas, transportation or hotel stays. My insurance, although we pay thousands for coverage, has paid out millions of dollars to keep me alive, even though I am technically terminal and still receive infusions to squeeze out more life. I don’t have to beg for my insurance to pay for clinical trials, life saving medication or even a physical trainer who helps me to arrest my scleroderma. I can afford to go the dentist three times a year to treat my melting gums and tooth decay from all the chemotherapy. I have access to opiates which help kill the pain from debilitating digestive spasms and pain from the cancer tumors.

Thank you to people who took photos of their purchased art at the show and photos of their art displayed in their homes!. I’ve included some in this post. How wonderful that you can share your art knowing that you’ve donated to a fund that will help people in perpetuity.

My deepest appreciation goes out to all of you and to those who helped me make this show a success: Li Mei, Lori Poncsak, Colleen and Jason Schwab and my husband Dave Bouton.

My dear cousin, Cynthia Pepper, provided me with the inspiration to do a show—she is my fellow cancer survivor, artist and hero.

Big thanks to Pat Pattison, the host of “Best of California” who interviewed me for his cable channel and his Facebook story. Click here to see the interview:

Special thanks also to our neighborhood vendors who supplied us with delicious wine: Nicole from the Pasadena Wine Shop (she is next door to the gallery!), Indonesian rainbow rice treats made by Tara Carrara from Bungus Bagus, and a fabulous charcuterie platter and cookies from Kaiy Smith at Stems and Nonna and Me Cookie Company.

While resting in bed I’ve had a chance to fulfill all your latest orders and updated my website to include the new products featured at the show!

Click to view the new postcards page.

Click to view the new Dana Pepper Bouton Endowment Page.

Click to see new images and new fine art paper options on my wall art page.

Click to view my about page.

Share my site and tell people about my Endowment Fund. Let’s sell more art and help more people!

Love,

dana pepper bouton