Bridgette Mayer: Rising Above Your Circumstances

"Faith is like a muscle. It's similar to going out for a run- if you don't do it normally run, you're going to sweat and it's not going to be comfortable. If you step into having faith when you don't know what the end is going to be, then that's something you can build every single day and you can rely on it." - Bridgette Mayer   This show is for everyone who believes that their past determines their future. How did a young girl who came through the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DYFS) system and foster care end up in the art world with a multi-million dollar gallery and consulting business? Through the kindness of strangers, fierce determination, and a survivor’s sheer will, Bridgette Mayer’s is a success story for the ages. In her inspirational memoir of gross neglect, violent abuse, and ultimately redemption, she shares her journey from the projects of Jersey City to eventually becoming one of Philadelphia’s most celebrated gallery owners. By following her heart and passion for art, Mayer’s interests evolved from a means of escape into her salvation and her security. She used her inherent self-assurance, natural curiosity, and scrapper work ethic to overcome the damage inflicted on her as a child and create a harmonious, rewarding, and charitable life — for herself and the artists she represents.   Rising Above Your Circumstances   "Anger is a much more proactive emotion than despair. I've used anger and fear to propel me forward. I've learned how to use both pretty well at this point. I've used such experiences to make me a better." - Bridgette Mayer   Bridgette's memoir, The Art Cure : A Memoir of Abuse & Fortune (published by Little Lion press in September 2016), is for anyone who aspires to a career in the arts and who has been told it’s too difficult or impractical to pursue. With bravery and tenacity, anyone can achieve the life of their dreams, no matter how out of reach it may seem. Mayer offers readers a bridge to color and a lifeline of hope for the future. After suffering an abusive childhood that landed her in foster care homes and on the streets, starving and beat up, Bridgette was adopted by a wonderful family at the age of nine and began her life transformation. Her early and challenging experiences gave her a tenacity of spirit, unbreakable creativity and a desire to make her mark in the art world. Now a successful art dealer, curator, art adviser, author and entrepreneur, Bridgette Mayer has spent decades cultivating her passion for art, artists, the clients she advises and finding her way to the top of the art world.   Creating The New Story   "I had a moment of frustration and I said to myself, 'The next 10 things that I'm asked to do, I'm just going to say 'yes' to them and figure it out.' The next day, I got a call from C