Miami Artist Jon Louis Gonzalez Reaches For The Stars To Help Kids With Cancer
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - When SpaceX's Inspiration4 rocket took off from the Kennedy Space Center on September 16th, it carried four civilian astronauts into orbit.
It also carried the work of Miami artist Jon Louis Gonzalez, a self-confessed space junkie who has a studio in Wynwood.
"I grew up in Melbourne, so I grew up watching many of the space missions," Gonzalez, 27, explained. "I had a teacher who was also an engineer and he would take us to visit the cape and taught us to be influenced by space."
Thanks to social media, Gonzalez connected with astronaut Sian Proctor, who agreed to take his painting called "Embrace 2" on the Inspiration4 mission. After three days orbiting the Earth, the piece is being auctioned off with the proceeds benefiting St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
"The piece is going for auction to benefit St. Jude's which is a hospital for children with cancer," Gonzalez said. "It's a beautiful thing for me and my team to not only create movements but also help others with my art."
Embrace 2 is up for auction on Charity Buzz Dot Com, so far-fetching eight thousand dollars.
Gonzalez wants to see that price go up faster than an Elon Musk rocket.
"We are truly blessed," Gonzalez said. "It's a God-given opportunity to be a messenger on Earth."
Bidding on "Embrace 2" will end on Nov. 10th.
To bid on the painting, click here.