I was, just now, sitting on the red couch sipping coffee, Max sprawled out on the cool floor beside me.  I was listening to an old Live From Everywhere session with Craig Cardiff on Instagram.  He was writing a song for a couple from Milwaukee, as they shared their story of meeting and falling in love and staying in love.  I got really emotional and as I came down the stairs, strangely, big tears were plopping down my cheeks and falling off my chin.  What?  What is going on?  I think they were blessing-tears.  I just feel so blessed.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to take a morning drive out to KOAC, in order to do some yard work with a group of wonderful volunteers gathered together by wonderful connector, Alice Lam.  I was surrounded by mostly younger folk and it gave my heart such joy to see these people working so hard to make something beautiful even more beautiful.  I hope to work alongside these people again.  Thank you, Alice.

Alice is seen, here, on our lunch break, eating a fresh lively salad provided by a fantastic start up that has its own magical story.  Through the pandemic experience, Inspired Go has been a company that stepped up and connected with community, in order to make things better.  In April they announced the #feedthefrontlines campaign, providing free meals to local healthcare workers. For each box sold they donated a meal, for a total of 6714 donated meals. What an epic moment in Inspired Go’s history! It is a beautiful thing to see people in our community do great things.  Over two volunteer work days, Inspired Go provided lunch, served up by my dear and respected friend, Wendy Lees.  Thank you!

Upon arrival, Katie,  Harry and Ricardo were there to welcome volunteers.  We received a lovely overview of the studios and the expanse of sculpture garden, beginning with a gathering in Katie’s studio.  There, she richly described her process as she works on pieces connected with the concept Cluster.

I was most intrigued by Katie’s description of the selection of materials and the process of editing, along the way.  I loved her description of vessels that might contain the cluster and her process of discovery.  In the raven piece above, I especially loved the creation of the nesting materials in the bottom section.  All the while, Katie is holding strapping that will be required to pull a new bench into place.  She is always and forever thinking and solving spatial problems.

Off we headed for our various assignments.  I couldn’t wait to get to work.

Below, we head out, passing Queen of the Night, Michael Sandle.

Joe brought the gravel to fill up the space where the bench would be installed.

I enjoyed Katie’s back story on the evolution of the bench.  My readers must take the opportunity to visit the Kiyooka Ohe Art Center.  Sit on this bench!  After shutting down mole/ground squirrel activity under the Ray Arnatt sculpture, Binder, and cutting out invasive weeds, we had our break for lunch.  It was during this time that I had the opportunity to look at the gardens and some of the mid sized sculptures.

Thanks, Wendy Lees, for your homemade chocolate chip squares.  They followed our Inspired Go salads.  Yum!  Then, off to the woods in our mosquito net apparel!  What a fun bunch of hard working people!

It was at this point of the third huge pile of dead wood that the first loud boom of thunder began.  Our day was cut a little bit short by the huge foothills storm that raced through.  I’m sad that I didn’t grab a photograph of the dramatic sky at this point in the afternoon.  I hosed down my footwear and hopped in the car.  I had a chance to say good bye to Harry, but Katie was busying herself somewhere else on the property.

What an amazing day!

Through Covid-19, I have tried to support one visual artist, one musician and one gallery.  It was all I could do, although I wanted to do so much more.  As a result, I have purchased Janet’s Crown by Katie Ohe for my 65th birthday gift.  I am also, over time, purchasing Weeping Bees 2007, Brother Pear 1996, Monsoon2, 2006 and Untitled, 1977.  I’m over the moon about these acquisitions.

I don’t have a lot in the resource bin of life…but, I’ve always had enough.  I’m blessed that I was able to give my three children and myself what we needed, that we had food and shelter and I was, as a teacher, always able to make ends meet.  Often times it was the sale of my own art that provided us with what we needed at the end of the month and when things were really tough (I wasn’t always able to purchase art. lol), friends and family supported me.  Regarding visual art,  a lot of people don’t know that they can create an art collection if they budget a little bit over time.  Arrangements can be made with galleries so that the collector can surround themselves with beautiful art.  I have purchased works from various galleries in town including Gorilla House and Rumble House.

This has been the year of Katie. I purchased Katie’s prints through the Herringer Kiss Gallery.  Katie Ohe’s retrospective exhibit is now available to view by appointment at the Esker Foundation, until the end of August.  Do not miss this opportunity. I will always remember this year with gratitude.  Strange times often bring to the forefront of our imaginations what is beautiful about life.

It was a fantastic opportunity to spend the day out at KOAC.  What a privilege.  I highly recommend volunteer hours spent at KOAC and thank you, Harry and Katie, for this day.