To say that my mom is the inspiration behind this project and mission would be an understatement.

It is with my mother's heart for charity, her love of art, that I address this mission every single day.

As a child, my mom was determined to expose me to a world she treasured; a world of the arts. I will never forget a specific weekend trip to the Baltimore Museum of Art. A modern art exhibit beckoned her attendance and the family, my mom, father, sister and I, entered the museum. Unbeknownst to me at that time, that a museum was to be a 'quiet place', this 5 year old blurted out, "I can do better than that!"

My father thought me hilarious, my mother was so embarrassed. I continued, looking up to my father with, "let's go see the mummies!"

Music lessons became the new focus. It was not until many years later that I adopted her love and appreciation for Fine Art. Initially, like many young people, my apartments and rental homes were adorned with art posters and items snatched up at Art Festivals.

When my career took me to many different cities throughout the United States and in France, I began to acquire on a whole new level. Most people take coffee breaks where they work. On locations changing from day to day, I took 'Art Breaks'. I would venture into every gallery along my path, and fell in love with the works of Erte, Alvar, and Frederic Hart.

On one tour, I managed to squeeze in a gallery event honoring Alvar, and met him in person for the first time. My next stop on my tour was a visit to see my mom, then on to New Jersey to meet with my clients at M&M Mars. My mom asked me if she could 'keep' the invitation to the Alvar event as she wanted to frame it.

Yes, my mom, a beautiful heart of a woman, loved art so much, she would actually buy Art Calendars, cut the photos out and frame them! I surprised her that Christmas with "The Tree of Life" and "The Tree of Knowledge" by Alvar! She treasured them and I finally felt like, perhaps, we had come full circle together.

When Betty Busig died, she left those Alvars to me, along with every penny she could save with intent to help me in the future, knowing that due to my SLE/LUPUS, I was unable to 'work' like I used to do!

She lived such a modest life. The most important thing anyone needs to know, to truly understand why she continues to be my inspiration is this. My mom managed to live on $30.00 a week for her groceries, and yet, despite her modest means,donated to at least 20 different charities every month of her life until the day she died. Putting others first was a given. She was selfless, charitable, and totally modest. She was and will always be my angel of inspiration.

When she died, I, too, had been making monthly donations to a selection of my favorite causes. I began to think about how I could do more, much more, and expand those funds she left me; appropriating with a more continual and heightened capability, a method of giving back like she did, until the day that I die.

A friend introduced me to several sources where galleries acquire works for their galleries. At an alarming rate, many U.S. galleries have closed their doors due to the economy. Since 2005, I have been collecting the works you will see in our Thematic Galleries and Renowned Artist Galleries.

This, all of this, was made possible and inspired by Betty Busig!