My husband had a meeting in Tucson recently and I was able to tag along. Based on the recommendation of some good friends, we extended the trip a few days and drove to Bisbee, Arizona and poked around for a day. It was a pleasant surprise since we did not really know what to expect and it exceeded our expectations. You have to appreciate the “hunt” where you are not looking for anything in particular, but curious to see what you might find knowing that you don’t need anything.
Bisbee, Arizona (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Bisbee is an old historic copper mining town. In fact, we went on a tour through an old mine and it was fascinating to learn about the whole process of mining copper 1500 feet inside a mountain. It is no longer being used because the mineral is mined out. Now they do strip mining so workers don’t have to go inside the mines which was dangerous work.
The town is full of funky stores, antique shops, galleries, and boutiques. Residents describe it as an old hippie town where people can live creatively. The previous week the town had declared itself “plastic free” so every store pledged not to use plastic bags. If you needed a bag and did not bring your own, you had to pay for it regardless of the store. So they are very environmentally aware.
We stayed in the Bisbee Grand Hotel which was an old hotel right on main street (and there are really only about three streets to the town and 1000 steps because it is in a valley.) where you check in at the Saloon next door. Honestly, it was a charming place that included breakfast which was a surprise. We will return to Bisbee.
But the best story was going into Belleza Fine Art Gallery and meeting the founder and owner Lou Anne Sterbick-Nelson. As we talked with her, we were amazed at her personal and professional story. Lou Anne told us how she is a lawyer by training and her husband a Judge from Seattle, but they decided to “move on” for this phase of their lives to Bisbee. She revealed how they have been married for 30+ years and she has been sober for 25. So they decided to open up not only a gallery, but the Renaissance House which is a facility that serves homeless women with drug and alcohol problems. Below is more information from their website.
Renaissance House is a Level 2* behavioral health facility that serves homeless women in recovery from drug and alcohol dependence, victims of domestic violence, women getting out of jail or prison, women with mental illness, and women who are working to reunite their families. Renaissance House provides residents food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and childcare while offering a comprehensive array of services, treatment and training.
Belleza Gallery, wholly owned by Renaissance House, manages an innovative vocational education program in which residents construct Adirondack furniture. One-hundred percent of the profit from the gallery provides operating funds for Renaissance House and 100% of the profit on the sale of the furniture is distributed to the residents at the time of their graduation from the facility. In
addition, clients learn life, vocational, and business skills while working at the gallery and in the wood-working facility.
We were so moved by the story and even got to meet some of the women from the shelter working in the gallery. It was such a great cause that, yes, we did support the cause by purchasing something that will be a constant reminder of Lou Anne’s great work. She is clearly living her life on and with purpose. Her legacy will be one that many in the town and women who are now in recovery will remember. Lou Anne left us with this thought and I paraphrase:
“I thought about starting a thrift store as a way to help cloth the women and provide jobs. But I wanted them to be surrounded by beautiful art to remind them of their beauty. I didn’t want to be around used clothing and cheap t-shirts, but works of art worth much more. I wanted them to know that I trust them to be in this environment and around people who appreciate art.”
We each have our talents, skills, and interests and we can use them in any way we choose. We each have our own budgets from which to work. Lou Anne made the decision to start a gallery to support a homeless shelter, but our choice might be much smaller based on our budget. There are so many possibilities on so many levels.
What are you being called to do?
I was very moved by Lou Anne’s story and I encourage you listen to her story by clicking on this link.
I also know that Lou Anne’s story has us thinking about what we might do–about the endless possibilities to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of others.
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