Nashville Launch Pad provides street-free sleep to displaced youths with a focus on being affirming and welcoming to LGBTQIA+ youth.
“Nashville’s Best Visual Artist 2021” (Nashville Scene) Samantha Zaruba teams up with Color Queery for a special edition of her Paint Your Noodz workshops to create an evening for the LGBTQ+ community on November 19. This class will serve to raise funds for Nashville LAUNCH PAD, “Nashville’s Best Nonprofit 2022” (Nashville Scene) with half of all ticket sales and 100% of raffle sales being donated to the charity.
This fundraiser will contribute to Nashville LAUNCH PAD’s larger fundraising efforts before they kick off the 9th season of Launch Pad shelter. They have a $50k goal they are aiming to meet through their combined efforts including the Biscuits for Beds Breakfast event on October 22. Their operating costs for winter shelter average $30k per month when they host up to 25 young people per night in their community-based shelter. To date, more than 1,200 young adults have received over 5,000 nights of shelter since 2014 through Launch Pad. “We believe being a queer-affirming organization is crucially important because LGBTQ+ young adults are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their straight counterparts,” notes HG Stovall, the organization’s executive director.
The choice to create an intentional space for LGBTQ people to do a class like Paint Your Noodz has everything to do with safety and empowerment. “While my workshops are fun, they can absolutely bring to light people’s deep insecurities. Queer people are at a higher risk of violence and trans people grapple with dysphoria – I wanted to provide my community a place to take those things on together in a body-positive and loving atmosphere amongst others who would immediately relate to their struggles,” describes Zaruba.
ABOUT PAINT YOUR NOODZ:
Paint Your Noodz was launched by Zaruba in the spring of 2022 as an offshoot of her own figurative painting work and her PowArt (art empowerment) workshops. “I wanted to give people the gift of knowing themselves as artists as well as the radical self-love that comes with immortalizing your form in paint,” describes Zaruba The workshops are a “personalized and sexy paint and sip” where the canvas comes fully prepped with participants’ nude reference photo.
Zaruba is no stranger to fundraising and community outreach; her pro bono PowArt workshops were offered at non-profits and underserved schools, she’s booked several benefit concerts and she also organized an auction at The East Room’s tornado benefit shows that helped the venue raise $10k in relief aid. Supporting local organizations with her new venture was always the intention.
ABOUT COLOR QUEERY:
Color Queery was founded by Forrest Douglass in June of 2022 with the intention of bringing LGBTQ+ people together to create community while providing an outlet for creative expression. It is a free biweekly art party for the queer community. “I love all of our local queer bars and events but noticed that making LGBTQ+ friends required going out to bars and nightlife events. Not everyone has the social bandwidth for those crowded and loud spaces- and I was craving a place to cultivate deeper friendships.”
ABOUT LAUNCH PAD:
Nashville Launch Pad is a volunteer-based initiative striving to provide street-free sleep to displaced youths in Davidson County between the ages of 18-24 with a focus on being affirming and welcoming to LGBTQIA+ youth.
