Paint the Tatas. Image by Karen Krogh

Paint the Tatas. Image by Karen Krogh

KNOXVILLE - On Saturday February 1st from 5:00 to 10:00 pm The Jewel Building at 525 North Gay Street will host one of the most creative fundraising events in town, the 5th Annual Breaststrokes- Knoxville Paint the TaTas Auction and Gala cancer fundraising event, featuring guest emcee Madame Onca O’Leary, along with Sidecar Symposium and The Follie Girls, The Jabal Connection, and even a breast-themed songwriting contest. The real stars of the show will be the rather unique photographs of over 200 volunteer “canvases” who gathered at Ironwood Studios in November 2013 to have their chests painted in a variety of designs and photographed from chin to navel to be auctioned off at the event.

Additional items to be auctioned off include a private house party with singer-songwriter and host of the ‘The Writers Block’ on 105.3 FM Karen Reynolds, as well as golf lessons, dinner and spa packages, a 2-night stay at the The Oliver Hotel and more. “This event will truly be like no other in Knoxville, from the vaudeville entertainment to the art on the walls, there will be something fun and different for everyone to enjoy” says Fundraising Committee Chair Jennie Caissie.

This year, for the first time ever, the all-volunteer, committee-driven grassroots group used photographs from previous years to produce a calendar, which is available at a variety of locations around Knoxville such as Green Earth Emporium, Big Fatty's Catering Kitchen, Union Ave Books, Pioneer House, Chop Shop Hair Studio, The Well, and Suttree's High Gravity Tavern.

Paint the TaTas originally began as the idea of Bekki Vaden as a way to raise money to help an uninsured friend who was struggling to pay for her breast cancer treatments. With the help of local artists and photographers such as Ammi Knight and Tovah Greenwood over the past five years the event has grown exponentially as more and more local women want to be involved. “This event has grown from just 7 local ladies to over 200 this year and we couldn’t be any happier. And this year, with so many women willing to volunteer their time and talents, we are able to establish a framework for this to not just be one event per year but a series of events and projects that marry the worlds of art and healing.

"Although Paint the TaTas is offering help to 2 local women facing financial concerns resulting from cancer treatments, we hope to be able to do more in the future. There are even plans to establish a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization.” says Jennie Caissie. According to photographer and event organizer Tovah Greenwood, “We have not worked with any organizations to get potential beneficiaries; sadly they have come to us each year. It all started with a close friend who was recently diagnosed and the next year it was a friend of a friend and so on.”