An orange Dodge Challenger carrying the Carpe Artista logo appeared on national television with actor and musician John Schneider behind the wheel [pictured, top], taking the mission of a Smyrna nonprofit to viewers across the country.

Carpe Artista is featured in The Great American Road Rally: Celebrity Edition, a reality series airing on The CW. The program follows celebrity teams driving classic cars 2,211 miles along Route 66 during the highway’s centennial year, with each team representing a charitable cause.

The rally paired Carpe Artista with the James Burton Foundation, and Schneider represented the two organizations during the journey. His car displayed Carpe Artista’s logo, its four core values and a QR code directing viewers to information about the organizations and ways to support them.

For Carpe Artista founder and CEO Ron Alley, the partnership created an opportunity to introduce the work happening in Smyrna to people across the country.

“It was an exciting opportunity to share the work happening here in Smyrna with a much larger audience and build relationships with people who believe in the power of entertainment and the arts to change students’ lives,” Alley said.

Carpe Artista provides music lessons, visual arts, theater, camps and community events for children, teenagers and adults in Rutherford County. Its work is guided by the Christian faith and four core values: Character, Calling, Craft and Community.

Carpe Artista Visual Art Camp weaving class / Photo by Karen Smith

Alley said the organization focuses on career development in the arts and entertainment industry, with leadership serving as a central part of its training. It also works to reach students who may not connect with sports or traditional academics and give them a safe place to explore different art forms, identify their strengths and meet peers who share their interests.

Some participants have come to Carpe Artista after experiencing bullying, abuse or other difficult circumstances, Alley said. Through creative programs and relationships, the organization seeks to give those students support, purpose and hope.

The nonprofit’s connection to the television series began close to home. Carpe Artista board member Eric Richey, owner of Crusader Autoworks in Smyrna, developed the concept for the show. Richey and his business partner, Gary Bridges, formed 7 Bridges Media Group in 2022 after meeting through a Carpe Artista connection, according to Alley. The company produced the series.

Alley said Richey and Bridges both had experience in entertainment and reality television and wanted their projects to include a charitable component. Their relationship with Carpe Artista and support for its mission led to the nonprofit’s participation in the rally.

The rally listed the James Burton Foundation in conjunction with Carpe Artista as a participating cause championed by 7BMG. Burton, a celebrated guitarist and bandleader who performed with Elvis Presley, founded that organization to provide guitars and music instruction to students, veterans and others in need.

Alley said the pairing made sense because both organizations use music to create opportunities for people who might not otherwise have access to instruments or instruction. Carpe Artista contributed the stories of its students, families, and community programs, while the James Burton Foundation brought its work placing guitars in schools, hospitals and community organizations. Schneider, known for his role as Bo Duke on The Dukes of Hazzard and for his country music career, represented the organizations in a bright orange 2016 Dodge Challenger that recalled the television series that helped launch his career. American Idol winner Taylor Hicks and country artist Tracy Lawrence also rode with Schneider during the rally.

Carpe Artista’s involvement extended beyond the vehicle. Board Chairman Rob Evras traveled the entire route from Chicago to Santa Monica, while Alley joined the rally for four days. They used the trip to share the nonprofit’s work and develop relationships with participants and people they met along the way.

One of Alley’s most memorable experiences came while riding in the Corvette pace car with rally host Ian Ziering between Oklahoma City and Amarillo, Texas.

“Those conversations opened doors to explore support for our work beyond the rally itself,” Alley said.

Alley also rode in the Heart Browser car with company executives and celebrity drivers Butch Patrick, who played Eddie Munster on The Munsters, and Sam J. Jones, who starred in the 1980 film Flash Gordon.

Seeing a Smyrna organization represented nationally was both exciting and humbling, Alley said. He hopes the experience shows Carpe Artista students that their starting point does not determine how far their creativity, work and character can take them.

The organization also hopes the exposure produces lasting results after the final episode airs, including new donors, partnerships, scholarships and opportunities for students to connect with working artists and entertainment professionals.

Carpe Artista’s long-term vision includes creating a career-path training center in Smyrna and developing a model that could eventually be used in other communities near major cultural centers.

“We hope the show introduces us to other communities that would see the value of having a Carpe Artista training center in their community,” Alley said.

Carpe Artista will bring the rally experience home with the Great American Rally Party on Thursday, Nov. 19, at Crusader Autoworks, 307 Hazelwood Dr. in Smyrna. Alley said the organization chose the date to hold the event before Thanksgiving and colder weather while the series is still airing. The final episode is now scheduled to air in December.

The event will include celebrity guests and cars from the series, live music, food trucks, drinks and a classic car show. Auction items will include memorabilia autographed by Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift and other entertainers. American Idol winner Taylor Hicks is confirmed to attend and perform, while additional celebrity guests will be announced.

General admission begins at 6 p.m. and costs $15 in advance or $20 at the door. A VIP experience begins at 5 p.m. and costs $100 in advance or $120 at the door. It includes a private celebrity meet-and-greet, a behind-the-scenes look at restoration projects at Crusader Autoworks, catered food, an open bar from 5 to 7 p.m. and a private performance by Hicks, along with appearances by other celebrity guests and Carpe Artista students. The event is limited to guests 21 and older.

Carpe Artista hopes to raise $100,000 through the event. Alley said the money will support camps, career-training programs, scholarships and operating expenses, helping the organization continue offering arts education while reducing financial barriers for families.

“A television appearance can introduce our story, but sustained community involvement helps turn that opportunity into lasting benefits for students here at home,” Alley said. “Every student deserves an opportunity to find out what they can achieve and become.”

Carpe Artista and the James Burton Foundation are featured as the nonprofits in episode six of the series.

Supporters can also select Carpe Artista as their designated nonprofit through Heart Browser, a rally sponsor. Alley said the company donates 70% of its click-through revenue to nonprofits selected by users, allowing people to support Carpe Artista through their regular online activity at no cost to them.

Find event tickets, sponsorship information, donation options and more details at carpeartista.com/garr. Heart Browser can be downloaded at heartbrowser.com/download-direct?utm_campaign=ae7dc819.