“Of Heaven and Earth” by Deb Komitor
The BAC believes that art can be a powerful part of the healing process, so we are collecting donations of gallery-ready art in any medium for people who lost their homes in the Waldo Canyon fire. Work is due by Nov. 10 to the BAC’s Venue 515. Displaced families will be invited to attend the “Art for a New Start” reception 6-9 p.m. Nov. 30 to meet the donors and select a piece for their new home. They also may choose art 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 1 or noon-4 p.m. Dec. 2.
Contact Liz Szabo at 659-8439 or liz@thebac.org, or Jana Rush at 685-1862 or jana@thebac.org, as soon as possible to get your names on the list of donors. Please should include a biography and, if you wish, a personal note with your art.
Acclaimed painter Deb Komitor has donated work to Art for a New Start. Here’s a brief Q&A:
Why is art important for creating a home?
Having original art in your home is a way to express your unique self. Each piece I have collected connected with me in some way. Sometimes I connect with the spirit of the artist as they express themselves in their art.
What do you hope people will feel when they look at their new piece of art?
I hope this piece of art will bring the people who take her a feeling of hope and renewal. I hope the colors and energy in the painting will bring them joy and convey the compassion and love that surrounds them in this community.
Is this act of giving therapeutic for you?
I live near Holmes Middle School, where the firefighters were camping out. My husband and I started going over to the school each evening to cheer them as they returned to camp. On July 4th the crowd was huge! The firefighters came up to the people and shook our hands and thanked us for being there! They said they had never felt so much love, gratitude and compassion. The tears flowed on both sides. It made me very proud to call Colorado Springs my home. I am donating paintings to continue the feeling of community love, support and compassion for those people who have lost their homes. I want them to know the community is still behind them and they will continue to be in our thoughts.
What was your evacuation experience?
I live on the Westside and we packed up important papers, got out the pet carriers and made plans to go to Denver to stay with family. I will never forget that ride out of town. The mountain range on fire, glowing in the night sky, was the most hellish sight I have ever seen.
Please tell us about this piece.
It is said the raven takes our questions from this world and brings back answers from our spirit guides. I have placed the Raven in a field of Iris blooming in late spring, a time of renewal.
See more of Komitor’s work on her site, at the Old Midland School, 815 S. 25th St.; at The Great Southwest, 76 S. Sierra Madre St., and Gertrude’s Restaurant, 2625 W. Colorado Ave. in Colorado Springs; Tracy Miller Fine Art, 16 Ruxton Ave. in Manitou Springs; and in the Pikes Peak Studio Tour, Nov. 10 and 11.
