Sheila Cameron (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sheila Cameron
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Cameron at The Center for The Arts
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| Education | Loyola University Maryland |
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| Known for | "Free Katie" |
| Movement | DANK (Do Art Now Kids) |
Sheila Cameron is an American artist, writer, and designer who lives in California. She is famous for starting the "Free Katie" campaign. She made and sold items like T-shirts when actress Katie Holmes got engaged to Tom Cruise.
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Life and Work in Hollywood
After college at Loyola University in Maryland, Sheila moved to Hollywood. She wanted to focus on painting and writing. While there, she worked as a graphic designer. She also helped create movies, TV shows, and websites. Some of her clients included HBO and Mick Jagger's film company. She also worked on the show Project Greenlight.
The "Free Katie" Campaign
In 2005, when Katie Holmes got engaged to Tom Cruise, Sheila Cameron had an idea. She designed and sold items online with funny sayings. These included "Free Katie," "Run Katie Run," and "Stop Sofa Abuse." This last one was a joke about Tom Cruise jumping on a sofa during an interview. People could buy buttons, hats, mugs, stickers, and T-shirts. Soon, other people started copying her designs and selling similar "Free Katie" items.
In less than a month, the "Free Katie" website had over 500,000 visitors. Thousands of shirts and other items were sold all over the world. People even wore "Free Katie" shirts on the red carpet. The musician Iggy Pop mentioned the campaign in an interview. In 2008, fans held signs with Sheila's "Free Katie" slogans at Katie Holmes's first Broadway play. Even in 2012, after Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise divorced, she was seen wearing a "Free Katie" shirt herself!
The "Free Katie" campaign also created an online community. Fans sent Sheila many emails. She had to buy more internet space to handle all the visitors to her website.
Many news groups in the U.S. reported on Sheila's campaign. These included ABC News, Los Angeles Times, NBC News, and The New York Times. She was interviewed by NPR and a British TV show. News outlets in Australia, Brazil, India, and other countries also covered the story.
Sheila explained that she didn't actually think Katie Holmes needed saving. She said she wanted to show support if Katie ever wanted to leave the relationship. Sheila first made the items for fun with her friends. But then, interest in them grew very quickly. The success of "Free Katie" led Sheila to make other T-shirts with funny comments about pop culture.
Sheila called the "Free Katie" campaign her "Dear John letter to Hollywood." She felt that people in Hollywood didn't like it when big stars like Tom Cruise were criticized. Not long after the campaign became famous, Sheila left Hollywood.
Art and Exhibitions
Sheila Cameron is part of two art groups. One is the Nevada County Yarn Bombers, which makes art using knitting and crocheting. The other is DANK (Do Art Now Kids). This group creates "pop-up galleries" in empty spaces to show art. Sheila helped start this idea.
Her Blog: Watching the Paint Dry
Sheila has a popular blog called Watching the Paint Dry. On her blog, she writes about being creative, family life, and other topics. It's also a place where she sells her artwork. She says her blog helps show "what it means to be an artist." Sheila started her blog in June 2010. For a whole year, she posted new art every single day.
Magazine Covers
In August 2012, Style magazine featured Sheila's painting "Sit" on its cover. The magazine also included a story about her inside.
Jerry Saltz's Art Challenge
In 2013, Jerry Saltz, a well-known art critic, challenged Sheila on Facebook. He asked her to create 55 new artworks in just three months.
Sheila took on the challenge and created all 55 pieces. She saw it as a performance art project. Her new collection was shown as a Facebook event. Some of the pieces were sold online through eBay. Jerry Saltz himself said, "Sheila Cameron did magnificently."
ArtSlant Competition
Sheila's artwork, "Original Super Power," was chosen as a finalist in a competition by ArtSlant magazine in 2013.
Art Shows and Exhibitions
- Beautiful Monsters. A solo show at Miner's Foundry Cultural Center. 2011
- Art Works Gallery. Juried shows (meaning artworks were chosen by judges). 2012–2013
- Wild & Scenic Film Festival Art Exhibition. Sheila was one of 40 artists chosen from 500 applicants for this show. 2013
- Smallworks. A group show of small artworks (12 inches or less) at Artist Studio in the Foothills. 2013
- Art Walk program. Shows at different places, including "pop-up" galleries. This was a project by the DANK art group in Nevada City. 2014–2015
- Wild & Scenic Film Festival Art Exhibition. At Osborne Woods Gallery. 2015
- Discover. A solo show at Off Center Stage, part of Grass Valley's Center for the Arts. This show combined visual art with live music and readings. 2014
- ArtExpo. A curated show (artworks were specially selected) in a former factory in San Diego. It was an alternative to the San Diego Comic-Con happening at the same time. 2014
- Every Angeleno Counts. A curated outdoor show along a 5K (about 3.1 miles) run/walk route. 2014
- LORE: The Art of Story. A DANK group show at Miner's Foundry Cultural Center. 2015
- New Works. A DANK group show at Miner's Foundry Cultural Center. 2015
- Cinema. A DANK group show at Miner's Foundry Cultural Center. 2015
Personal Life
Sheila Cameron and her husband, Greg, have two daughters. In 2008, Sheila and her family moved from West Hollywood to Nevada City, near Grass Valley, California.
