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# ENTERTAINMENT This Biker Babe is out to beat MS
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/entertainment-this-biker-babe-is-out-to-beat-ms/
- Published: 2007-03-30T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:19:37.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Business, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*FROM BABE PAGE 1 Local artist uses craft for a cause*

BERGAMOT STATION Where others simply see a bunch of twisted metal and leather, artist Cathleen Crone sees stunning architectural forms and hypnotizing reflections in chrome that command one’s attention, and hopefully their wallets.

Crone, a Santa Monica musician, actress and photographer, is looking to raise money for research and programs benefiting those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis through the sale of her abstract photographs of Harley Davidsons and the other classic motorcycles she has studied at The Rock Store — one of Southern California’s most famous biker hangouts, where riders like Jay Leno and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stop to check out one another’s hogs.

Having loved ones living with MS — a debilitating disease that affects more than 400,000 Americans, with about 200 people being diagnosed every week — Crone has decided to donate 25 percent of the proceeds from the sale of her artwork to the National MS Society, Southern California Chapter.

Her images are currently on display at the James Gray Gallery in Bergamot Station in a pop photography exhibit entitled “Immortalization of the Rock Store.” The photos will soon be part of a leather-bound coffee table book, complete with silver studs, featuring motorcycles and the riders who cherish them.

“I am excited by the architecture of the mighty machines and am captivated by their owners’ testimonies,” Crone said, explaining her fascination with the subjects in her photographs, some of which look more like oil paintings than digital prints. “The motorcycles arrive, park and lay claim to their designated space and posture in a majestic fashion saying, ‘I am standing, I wish to be acknowledged!’”

Crone is no stranger to fundraising. Through her band Cat and the Mighty Mice, as well as other art, she has raised money for the MS Society. She even sang the national anthem at the Los Angeles Coliseum during the opening ceremony for the MS Walk 2004.

“We are encouraging everyone who wants to do something about MS now to join the movement to bring us closer to a world free of MS,” said Chapter President Leon LeBuffe. “We are thrilled that Cathleen has found this unique way to engage in our movement and get others involved too.”

MS is thought to be an auto-immune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS). The CNS consists of the brain, spinal cord and the optic nerves. Surrounding and protecting the nerve fibers of the CNS is a fatty tissue called myelin, which helps nerve fibers conduct electrical impulses.

In MS, myelin is lost in multiple areas, leaving scar tissue called sclerosis. These damaged areas are also known as plaques or lesions. Sometimes the nerve fiber itself is damaged or broken.

Myelin not only protects nerve fibers, but makes their job possible. When myelin or the nerve fiber is destroyed or damaged, the ability of the nerves to conduct electrical impulses to and from the brain is disrupted, and this produces the various symptoms of MS.

A person with MS could have loss of balance and muscle coordination making walking difficult; another person with MS could have slurred speech, tremors, stiffness, and bladder problems. While some symptoms will come and go over the course of the disease, others may be more lasting.

“I have friends suffering with MS and it can be very debilitating,” Crone said. “I’m just glad that I can lend a helping hand.”

The “Immortalization of the Rock Store,” which has been called by critics a “feminine twist on mighty pieces of machinery,” will be on display through Friday, April 11.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/033007-03_01.jpg)

of the artist SEE BABE PAGE 15 SEE POSTER PAGE 14 (Photo: Photo courtesy)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/033007-03_02.jpg)

of artist BIKER BABE SHOWS OFF: Cathleen Crone’s work is on display currently at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. (Photo: Photo courtesy)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/033007-03_03.jpg)

of artist BIKER BABE SHOWS OFF: Cathleen Crone’s work is on display currently at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica. (Photo: Photo courtesy)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 30, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/033007.pdf?ref=smdp.com)