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I’ve been a bit paralyzed over the last two days processing the tremendous scale of loss for so many in Los Angeles. LA has had its share of droughts, winds, and fires over the years, but in the 24 years Amanda and I have lived here, nothing compares to the rapid destruction those converging conditions led to over the last 3 days. It’s very different to see fires on the news than it is to watch them from your bedroom window. Tuesday night as Santa Ana winds gusted at 50mph plus, the trees outside our window bowed ominously along with the windows themselves. We noticed a large and growing fire on the ridge across the way in the vicinity of Altadena. I texted my good friend, artist Cleon Peterson and asked if the fire was near them.. he said “got evacuated to Burbank but we’re safe” to which I replied “damn, glad y’all are safe, I hope your crib ends up OK too!”. In his normal dry style Cleon replied “that’d be good”. By the next morning Cleon’s house and studio were gone completely. What he’d built in the last 10 years of hard work gone in minutes. I love Cleon and his family dearly so this hit very hard, but they are one of many many families who have lost homes or businesses with over 9,000 structures burned in LA. This is all overwhelming and initially paralyzing, but it is time for action on several fronts.
Amanda and I will donate from our foundation and I will fundraise from prints to help the victims… including this letterpress image of a sparrow, which symbolizes good fortune, hope, and resilience, rising above the flames. I know many thousands of others will do what they can to help as well. We can rebuild, but we also need to re-think. CA is the most environmentally progressive state in the nation, but that by itself cannot solve a global problem. We are all on Mothership Earth together and whether it’s fires in CA, hurricanes in FL or the gulf, rising sea levels in Bangladesh and Venice Italy, or droughts in Africa, climate change is leading to tremendous suffering around the globe. Some attribute extreme weather to bad luck… and it is, but it is also a pattern fueled by interconnected variables. We need to stop ignoring the evidence for the sake of the whole planet, but especially those who live in more vulnerable zones. I hope that compassion can lead us to rebuild but also to re-think our behaviors to help us mitigate the factors that fuel natural disasters. Thanks for caring.
-Shepard
If you would like to help Cleon and his family rebuild, donate to his GoFundMe page HERE.
There are numerous organizations collecting donations and gathering items to support people, businesses, and animals affected by the fires, but here are some well-vetted organizations that you can directly donate to:
- California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund
- American Red Cross
- Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation
If you’d rather donate to a specific individual or family, GoFundMe has set up a dedicated page where you can donate to SoCal fire victims, first responders and others through their separate fundraising accounts.
