20 years ago (Early November 2023) I was setting up for my first ever art festival, the Mountaineer Week Craft Festival in Morgantown, WV. Yep you read that correctly, my business is TWENTY YEARS old! It just doesn’t seem possible. I was a year out of geology grad school and was making paper out of old paper. In my kitchen. My former advisor found it extremely amusing when I recycled old drafts of my master’s thesis into my first “paper quilts”. As I sat on my living room floor, hand sewing my recycled papers into crazy quilts I never thought that 20 years later I would be supporting myself with my art.
I’ve gone round and round about how to celebrate this milestone. A party? Eh, not my style. A give away? Eh maybe but not very inspiring. A fundraiser? Winner winner chicken dinner! I am partnering with my local women’s shelter, the Dove Center to raffle off a piece of art. Since the pandemic Dove Center is overwhelmed with numbers that have skyrocketed, and ever increasing complexity of client needs. They are always in need of continued fundraising and donations (even after grant funds, they still must raise over $100,000 per year to make ends meet).
With the holiday season upon us, we have decided to hold the raffle in early January 2024. Check back for all the details!