The Unsinkable Mommie-preneur

Like Margaret Tobin Brown, known as the fictional character Molly Brown, who helped save lives during the sinking of the Titanic, Cynthia Golonka displays that same kind of unstoppable spirit. Cyndi has survived business setbacks, artistic challenges, and unexplained health issues. She has worn many hats—commercial artist with her own ad agency, teacher and philanthropist, art gallery owner and entrepreneur, potter and sculptor, mother, grandmother, and health advocate.

Locally, Cynthia Golonka and her husband, Michael Golonka, are art gallery entrepreneurs who built the Racine Center for the Arts on Racine Drive. Their vision was to have a gallery, art studios, cafe, and showcases for local artists.

Internationally, Cyndi is an award-winning potter and clay artist. She has received recognition from the Chinese government at the International Museum in China for her clay sculptures. She has studied and traveled extensively in China.

Presently, Cyndi is focused on her health. At the age of 55, Cyndi was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease. After suffering for years with mysterious symptoms and health problems, she has found some answers. Her struggles over the years with her health issues are even greater testimonials to her indomitable, unstoppable, unsinkable spirit and view of life.

Pictorial transformation of The Gallery at Racine to The Gallery of Fine Art:

Butterfly Resources for a Classroom Presentation

A great introduction is to show the children a short video about the NC State Butterfly, the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. The video can be seen on the Cape Fear Garden Club, Inc. website at www.capefeargardenclu.org.

Breaking the children into small groups of only 4-5 students works well. To accomplish all the activities, it is essential to have at least 4 adult volunteers in addition to the classroom teacher. Allow approximately 10 minutes or less for each activity.

The first station will be a planting station. The adult leader will introduce the idea of attracting butterflies to a garden with certain plants (read a simple explanation or show a poster). For example, Monarch butterflies are attracted to milkweed. Present the children with milkweed seeds to be sprouted for later planting. Use egg cartons filled with potting soil or buy professional sprouting kits like the Jiffy Greenhouse brand found at Walmart. Have wipes available for the children when they finish “planting” their seeds.

The second station involves the presentation of two picture books by Lois Ehlert, WAITING FOR WINGS and TEN LITTLE CATERPILLARS. The leader can also introduce two teaching puppets which can be manipulated by the children. The cloth puppets are called METAMORPHOSIS by Crocodile Creek. The puppets turn inside out to create the caterpillar stage and the butterfly stage of metamorphosis (change of form).

The third station will be a demonstration station showing “how butterflies eat!” Using reference information from WEEKLY READER (May/June 2011), ask the students “how they could drink like a butterfly?” Explain and demonstrate that butterflies have a proboscis. Never shy away from using the “big” words with the children. Talk about the sucking organ of the butterfly. Using paper straws, roll up a straw to illustrate how the butterfly controls the proboscis until it is ready to put the mouthpart in a flower to suck the nectar. Also, talk about how nectar is a sticky food and when the butterfly drinks the nectar, it is like sucking pudding through a straw.

The fourth station is a butterfly specimen station. Present a 3-D “Build -A-Bug” model for the students to examine. Read a small Scholastic booklet entitled CATTERPILLAR TO BUTTERFLY by Melvin and Gilda Berger. Talk to the children about preserving butterflies and present a real butterfly specimen. Distribute magnifying glasses or use a magnifying container so that the butterfly specimen can be seen easily. 

Make enough paper butterfly finger puppets in order to send each child home with a drinking straw decorated with a butterfly. As the children sip a drink at home, they will be reminded of the butterfly drinking nectar from a flower through the proboscis.