If there is one thing people have in common through every disaster, it’s that every person processes trauma differently. For Jessie Mercer, the break from grief comes in the form of art. Her art studio in Paradise burned to the ground, as did her parents’ home. Now she’s using an object that almost everyone who escaped the fire was able to bring with them to create something new from the city’s ashes. She’s collected more than 3,000 keys that will become something of a memorial sculpture. NSPR’s Tess Vigeland spoke with Mercer at our studios.
Mercer is currently still collecting keys. If your home was lost in the Camp Fire and you have a key you would like to be part of the project you can contact Jessie Mercer directly, by email (jessiemercer15@gmail.com) or you can drop it off at one the locations listed below.
To learn more about the Key Tribute Project click here.
Key drop-off locations:
- 1431 Park Ave, Chico
- 900 Esplanade, Chico
- 1705 Manzanita Ave, Chico
- 358 East 6th Street, Chico
- 6400 Columbine Road, Magalia
- 1060 Main Street, Red Bluff
- 232 Main Street, Chico
- 127 W. 3rd Street, Chico
- 13290 Contractors Lane, Chico