“Nothing can prepare you for a disaster.”
While away at a show in July 2010 Kimberly’s world turned upside down with one short call from her daughter: “Stay calm…your studio is on fire.” A devastating electrical fire combined with hours of water to combat it turned her 3,000 sq. foot studio and its 25-year collection of machines and tools into water, soot, mildew, rust and ashes.
Within 10 days of submitting a request for assistance, Kimberly received a grant and a no-interest loan from CERF+. In the weeks to follow, CERF+ staff was able to garner significant in-kind contributions (a booth fee waiver from the American Craft Council, equipment from Stanley Black & Decker Corporation and building materials from Lowe’s).
“There were times when I wanted to give up. Thanks to people like CERF+, I have not.”
The first body of work she’s created since the fire is called “The Gift of Receiving” and was, she notes, “welcomed with hugs, stories, tears and…yes, sales.”
