Bettie Grace Miner Interview Page 4

Smitty: Very cool.

BM: So look for that coming soon.

Smitty: Alright, and while were talking about your website, for your new fans, give me your website address.

BM: It’s www.MinerWorksOfArt.com, and the trick to that is to remember Miner is spelled M-i-n-e-r.

Smitty: Ok.

BM: MinerWorksOfArt.com…

Smitty: Very cool. And you have some other locations where your artwork can be viewed.

BM: This is true. If you happen to be in Southern California, you can see some of the work at a couple of great venues here. Spaghettini Grill and Jazz Club showcases a number of pieces, which you can check out while enjoying world class Italian cuisine and great jazz. Another is the Huntington Beach Library and Cultural Center where BB Jazz hosts some incredible jazz concerts, which benefit children with autism.  There are also a few radio stations, and other partners that have my work on their website. A lot of the jazz musicians have my work on their websites. Rick Braun has it on his, and Mindi Abair has it on hers, KKSF in San Francisco, KKSF.com has it on their website. There are a few, and I will be putting a list of those on my website where you can go and visit their website, and see all the cool stuff they have to offer, and if I’m not mistaken I think you may be putting it on your website.

Smitty: You better believe it. (Laughing)

BM: (Laughing)

Smitty: And I know that you have done a few album covers as well…

BM: You must have been checking out Steve Oliver’s incredible new Christmas CD.  His rendition of “Carol of the Bells” is truly my favorite, ever!  I’ve also done CD covers for Michael Paulo, Ron Brown – a dynamite gospel jazz artist – You probably know Tom Schuman, the keyboard player from Spyro Gyra, I did his debut CD cover “Into Your Heart.” Let’s see, I’ve also done CD artwork for a couple of Hiroshima CDs, Wayman Tisdale, Gregg Karukas’ latest release, and a few others.  It’s a very fun art form but I must admit that I miss the large format of albums, and there I go giving my age away again.

Smitty: Well this has been very cool. So now what’s in the works for Bettie in the future? Anything coming that, that you can give us a sneak peek at that we may be looking forward to?

BM: What I’m working on, I hope to get this pulled together pretty soon; Is to have an exhibit of the work that’ll travel to major markets around the country, to major cities, so that people can see the work up close just like I got to do when I was six. To see the large pieces beautifully framed, have an exhibit of this work and have my book available at the same time, so people can take that away with them. But this is in the works I don’t have dates set or anything else yet, but I’m working on it. Couple of great sponsors I’m working with are helping pull that together, so when that’s ready to go I’ll announce that.

Smitty: Yes, and you’ve also done some posters for various Jazz festivals.

BM: I have, as you know from The Rick Braun All Star Cruise that we were just on, I did a poster for all the artists that were on the cruise, and had some fun little secrets in there that people had to find that I liked to torture them with. I like to put little things in there for people to find, and in this particular case, within the poster, I hid the sheet music for an old Cole Porter song called “Now You Have Jazz.” So I challenged everybody to find that music, which was a fun thing to do. I also had the great honor of doing the poster for the Catalina Island jazz festival. This was a 19th annual jazz festival they just had this past October. There’s also another lovely project that I’ve been doing for the past five years, and that’s “Jazz on the Green.” That’s a jazz festival that happens in Fort Myers, Florida every October. And this is a benefit concert. It benefits the children’s hospital. Actually it’s the Neonatal department of a hospital. So it is strictly for preemie babies that need some help. So I donate the artwork for the poster for them every year, and have been doing that for the last five years. And all the proceeds, 100% of that goes to this hospital. They do t-shirts and posters, and all that sort of thing. You can find them at www.jazzonthgreen.com. So you can find my work there as well.

Smitty: And you’ve done a self-portrait too.

BM: Yes, I’ve done a self-portrait and its on my website.

Smitty: I really enjoy your work and admire you for it. I know that all of the artists certainly appreciate all of the fine things you’ve done for them in so many different ways with this great artwork.

BM: It’s really been my privilege, and my honor to work with them, for them to share their time with me, and to allow me to get into their heads, and their hearts, and be able to create this artwork. It is really quite a privilege. I never get over it when I’m standing in Rick Braun’s living room, or Peter White’s house. You know, or, or any of these other artists that allow me into their homes, or they come here. I never get over the fact that you know, wow how did this happen? Here…You know. A few years ago I was just another fan, and, and now it’s suddenly that I’m in their homes photographing them. You know. So for them to allow me into their homes and their hearts is really quite a privilege for me. Um it’s really a two-way love affair

Smitty: Yes. You’ve spent a lot of your time with Jazz Monthly, letting us into your world of creativity, and great impressions of this great work that you’re doing, so let me say what an honor it has been.

BM: Thank you. It’s been my honor to take part in it. Thank you.

Smitty: We’ve been talking with the exuberant and colorful Ms. Bettie Grace Miner. Please check out her wonderful work and her website and look for her in your city at one of the many great jazz festivals. Bettie, thanks again, and please come back and see us again.

BM: Ok. I’ll sure do that Smitty.

Baldwin “Smitty” Smith

For more information Visit Bettie Miner’s website: http://www.MinerWorksOfArt.com
                                                               
Also see the big cats: http://www.animazonia.lle.org