Emma Shaffer, granddaughter to SARA, responded to an image of David Herbold’s wood sculpture, Sara’s Houses, which is currently featured in the Studio 84 exhibit, Intersection. Herbold’s piece is an homage to SARA’s life and homes in Genesee, Idaho.
As a small child, it was like entering a museum with high ceilings, steep stairs, and original wood flooring that creaked with every step. Unique and deliberately selected furniture with sleek lines and crisp color were sparsely arranged, inviting you not to lounge but to rethink, recharge, create new perspective. And then there was the artwork.
Paintings upon paintings in various states of completion, trays of acrylic paints, and rolls of vintage fabric soon to become dolls, busts, or forms. Each fabric piece adorned with intricate jewelry complete with a name and a presence that filled a room. I routinely greeted them all by name as they would NOT be ignored. And if all this was not enough to heighten your senses…..the smell of SARA’S homemade bread soon wafted through the house putting my exploration and adornment on hold and heading straight for the kitchen!
SARA had a special way of setting a table. It always felt celebratory no matter the day, friendly, nurturing and in some way almost spiritual. There may be people attending this event who experienced sitting at her table where conversation had no boundaries, unconventional ideas were welcome, laughter came easy and if you were lucky maybe she even read your tea leaves.