Contact: Coleen Widell at (575) 973-0828 or at Coleen@aidv-usa.com
Kathy Gist, a long-term visitor to Ruidoso and Texas artist, has presented Help End Abuse for Life with a remarkably unique and customized gift – a photograph of a bird’s nest cradling eggs that she artfully colored varying shades of purple. She has named the piece, “Hope, by Kathy Gist.”
The story of this photograph is notable. Kathy and her husband, Steve, have been coming with their family to Ruidoso since 1981. On the day the bird’s nest was discovered, the Gists returned home from a great day of skiing at Ski Apache to find their dryer wasn’t working. Steve pulled the dryer away from the vent and there lay the incredible nest. The eggs were still a beautiful shade of aqua, despite being cooked from the heat of the dryer.
The Gists carried the nest back to their home in Goldthwaite, Texas and Kathy photographed it in good light with a white background. Having loved the photograph so much, she enlarged it for their cabin in Ruidoso.
According to Kathy, “When I took it to Mandy at Mountain Arts for framing, owner Teri Sodd mentioned several times an idea she had about making an altered photo for The Nest Domestic Violence Shelter in Ruidoso Downs. So, I created the new photo with the entire nest being black and white with pale purple eggs. The two versions look so different. When I look at the original picture I called, “Forever Lost,” I know the eggs are separated from life. Yet, The Nest version with the beautiful range of purple is simply a symbol of hope.”
Kathy Gist holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Design degree through the Art Department of Texas Tech University in Lubbock. She currently teaches visual arts at the Goldthwaite High and Middle School Art teacher. As a member of the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) Blue Ribbon Committee and a professionally trained VASE juror, Kathy was part of the panel of 3 jurors for the first Brownwood Stars of Texas “Paint off” and the juror for the first Art of Texas Exhibition.
The Gist photograph is on display in the lobby of the Nest Domestic Violence Shelter, located at 26374 US Highway 70 in Ruidoso Downs. For more information about the free and confidential services of the Nest, please call (575) 378-6378.
Pictured are HEAL Executive Director Coleen Widell and artist Kathy Gist, holding her framed photograph “Hope.”