Making connections and making creativity happen are so important to us at the Questa Creative Council. More so since the pandemic, we are wired through words-only means, but wired doesn’t mean connection in the ways we understood it, before the pandemic hit. We are less connected by means that are human and humane, due to the isolation necessitated by pandemic precautions. So the chance to exercise our creativity in a safe classroom or by walking and learning about Questa area’s history/culture through projects such as the Questa History Trail, or even by playing around in expressing our feelings with art materials, in our own homes, is so very valuable.

Questa Creative Council has always recognized this value of creativity. We have strong aims to serve our area youth, so we are glad to report that the annual Art Kit Fund drive this past December was a great success. The project manager for this drive, Peggy Trigg, always chooses really wonderful supplies, working to get different items each year to keep kids’ creativity engaged. Thank you to you, our Questa community for helping us raise over $1,400! Through two library distribution dates in December and announcements (through this newspaper, flyers at the post office, the library, social media posts through the Village, QEDF, and the QSAT), 48 local youth were able to choose from an assortment of art materials: paints, pencils, crayons, brushes, and papers. After the two distribution days, remaining art materials were given to area schools (Alta Vista Elementary, Questa Junior/Senior High, and Roots and Wings Community School) and to the local youth-centric non-profit Vida del Norte.

We’ll do it again next year around the holidays, but did you know that you can help creativity to flourish and contribute to the Art Kit funds any time of year? Go to our Donate page at QuestaCreative.org and on the drop-down menu, select “art kits for school-aged kids.” We appreciate your support of the QCC in their endeavors to sustain and strengthen our local arts.

NEWS FLASH: In case you missed the live cello and piano (Mark Dudrow & Martha Shepp) “open rehearsal” of Argentinian and Brazilian music on 10/1, we’re playing a reprise at Yoga Sala, 4 pm on Sunday afternoon, February 13. (If you were there, come back for more!) Lovely snacks will be served, and a romantic atmosphere… sheppmartha@gmail.com for more info.