Grumpy Cat becomes cat-alyst for social good

By Nathan Dube, {grow} community member

I initially stumbled upon the “Grumpy Cat Art Project” via some Facebook friends. To describe this social media success story as anything other than genius would be a crime.

My new friend Dustin Timbook took note of the huge buzz created by the Grumpy Cat meme starring the now world famous cat “Tarder Sauce” and started brainstorming how it might be used for social good.

After tossing ideas around with many fellow artists at the Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Dustin was able to get commitments from 30 artists to create Grumpy Cat artworks in their respective styles, all with a goal of honoring the world’s most perturbed cat.  From paintings, to sculptures, to works of stained glass and paper cuttings, a virtual cornucopia of grumpiness emerged from their creative hands.

Dustin turned to social media such as Facebook and Twitter to expose the art to Grumpy Cat’s most ardent fans. The story went viral and started to creep into media outlets like Huffington Post MSN and TODAY. The art was even celebrated by The Official Grumpy Cat Twitter and Facebook pages.

Now all this global buzz great, but, did it produce any results? The grumpy artworks were auctioned off both online and at a live event at the arts center, raising $8,000 in sales for the artist community and entertainment center!

I think the best thing about this story is that it was not just a self-serving way to use the power of an already established meme/brand/phenomenon, but rather a way to bring success to an organization and community … as well as extend the legend of Tarder Sauce the cat. And who doesn’t love a world with more Grumpy Cat?

I think this was a fantastic cooperative effort. Are you inspired?

Nathan Dube has been a long-time member of the {grow} community and is a marketing and sales professional at Expert Laser Services near Boston.

Illustrations courtesy Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment Center