I am a participating artist for the upcoming Open AIR fundraiser, LUSH, at the Garden City Harvest Community Barn, 1657 River Rd, Missoula, MT on September 17. More information here.
Support raised during the evening will benefit the Open AIR program and Western Montana Creative Initiatives: supporting community, creativity, and connection in Montana. This lively evening will include music by Caroline Keyes and Nate Biehl, and live and silent auctions. Both auctions will include artworks by local artists who have spent the Summer creating work inspired by the sights and sounds of Garden City Harvest farm sites. The harvest season repast will be prepared on site at the Community Barn kitchen by skilled hands, and will feature a variety of seasonal salads and a delicious array of flame grilled kabobs.
On Wednesday, September 14th there will be a free preview of the artwork, The preview is open to the public and will be held from 5-7pm at the Garden City Harvest Community Barn on 1657 River Rd., Missoula, MT.
I will be posting updates about what my piece will be for the auction. Here is a sample of some work and writing from my time at the gardens on River Road.
The sunflowers called me, each one, so insistent in brightness
I peered into many of their faces with my camera,
trying to capture the petals against the blue, blue, blue of sky
A few gardeners were tending their plots, weeding, harvesting
voices drifted around me
As the sun began its slide to the horizon, I pulled myself away
from the yellowness filled with light
Then the cabbages beckoned,
centers of sturdy round heads and
unfolding splays of giant thick veined leaves
curled and curved in dusty blue greens and purples,
imperfect with nibbled holes
I spent some time with them
A palpable thrum of ruby red trunks within the shocking sun bright lime of chard leaves
seduced me away from the cabbages
stunning me with the life force of their stationary lives,
their busy lives in community with sun, soil, air, water, many beings
As the light was fading
Ravens flew in clumps across the field to the western edge
and I thought, “they know the secrets,
they feel the interwoven vibrancy of plants in the garden”
I imagined them choosing to fly over
and soak this essential life into their winged hearts
before gathering and circling together
to fly to the river in the approaching darkness
toward rest at the end of the day
a celebration of kinship
