Shoes
Mixed Media, 2017
A response to the Thomas Fire.
Following alert after alert of emergency evacuation notifications, a small gang of Westmont students found themselves sheltered at my house, about a ten minute drive north of campus. As we laughed together seemingly like any other group of friends, we constantly kept one eye on the TV to monitor the status of the fires, and one hand on our phones to talk to family and let friends know they could come and
find shelter if they needed. I noticed the accumulation of shoes piling up at the door and took a quick picture, finding it rather unique. People came and went that week and our house became a sanctuary to the students temporarily displaced by the fire and looking for a place to stay or a way to fly home. I painted each pair of shoes from that picture to remember how we welcomed people in a time of crisis.